Col. David E. Plum has been appointed interim commander of the Nebraska Wing, a role to which he brings extensive experience — including four years commanding the wing — and dedication.
Plum’s Civil Air Patrol tenure began in October 2002 in the Missouri Wing as a founding member of the Pony Express Composite Squadron in St. Joseph. Nebraska Wing commander from March 2010-March 2014, he subsequently served as North Central Region director of safety and later as region director of standards and revaluations.
From May 2016-May 2020 he served as region chief of staff after a stint as deputy chief of staff for operations beginning in March 2015.
When he was appointed Nebraska Wing interim commander he was serving as region assistant deputy chief of staff for operations.
Plum holds Master ratings in command, cadet programs, aerospace education, standards and evaluations, and health services specialty tracks, along with Senior ratings in safety and operations specialty tracks.
Active in emergency services, he is qualified as a mission pilot, mission observer, and mission scanner. He was previously qualified as an incident commander, air operations branch director, and mission safety officer. He holds a command pilot rating and is qualified as an orientation pilot, Air Force ROTC orientation pilot, search and rescue/disaster relief mission pilot, and transport mission pilot.
He has provided flight instruction to cadets at National Flight Academy powered flight courses from 2003-2024. He serves as a Federal Aviation Administration aviation safety inspector and resides in Savannah, Missouri, with his wife, Lt. Col. Melissa Plum, former North Central Region director of finance.
Plum received a doctorate in chiropractic from Cleveland Chiropractic College of Kansas City.
As his first order of business, he appointed new wing staff, choosing Lt. Col. Roxann Richards as vice commander and Maj. Jason Ferguson as chief of staff.
During an all-member commander’s call, Plum outlined his goals to increase wing membership, revitalize programs, and keep operations focused on CAP’s mission — all while ensuring members have fun along the way. He also spoke of fostering respect by being present and engaging in serious conversations.
He asked that members that when addressing issues, members explain why they’re problematic and offer improvement solutions. Recognizing that everyone is busy, he emphasized the need to prioritize clear communication and transparency and maintain an appropriate perspective throughout._____Maj. Wilma GerenaPublic Affairs Officer155th Composite SquadronNebraska Wing
Lt. Col. David MillerDirector of Public AffairsNorth Central Region
