Chief Master Sgt. Luis E. Negron — a U.S. Coast Guard veteran serving as the senior enlisted leader, or command chief, of Civil Air Patrol’s Southeast Region — is CAP’s next national command chief.
Negron will assume his new role in August at the Summer Command Council meeting in Atlanta. Joining him in leading the 500 noncommissioned officers in CAP will be Chief Master Sgt. Benjamin S. Garrison of the Colorado Wing, who will serve as national advisor of the NCO corps.
“The role of Civil Air Patrol’s command chief in supporting our efforts continues to evolve and grow,” said Maj. Gen. Regena M. Aye, CAP national commander and CEO. “Chief Negron is a dedicated, talented senior enlisted leader who can help our organization continue to transform and help us prepare to overcome future challenges.
“I know I can rely on the leadership skills he has developed in CAP, working at Walt Disney, and through his service in the Coast Guard to lead, communicate, develop, and support our volunteers.”
Aye, who selected Negron for the leadership role, said she’s looking forward to his service with the CAP command team.
“I trust in Chief Negron,” she said. “I know his experiences have prepared him for the challenges that accompany being our top senior enlisted leader. He has been committed to Civil Air Patrol since his days as a cadet in the Puerto Rico Wing. When you speak with him, you can tell he cares deeply about the organization that helped him be successful in life.”
Negron was elated over his selection to the team.
“As a cadet many years ago, I never thought I would have the opportunity to serve at this level in the organization,” he said.
“It is with immense humility and extreme excitement that I accept the privilege of serving as the next national command chief.
In an introductory message to CAP’s nearly 70,000 members, he said, “I’m incredibly optimistic about what we can achieve together and genuinely anxious to get started.
“My commitment is to continue serving each of you and Civil Air Patrol tirelessly as we uphold our core missions and advance our impact across the nation.”
Negron recently served as Florida Wing commander from 2021-2024 as a CAP colonel. After his term as wing commander ended, he served as a Southeast Region deputy commander before transitioning in January from officer to chief master sergeant — based on his experience and rank in the Coast Guard — to become the region command chief.
Working at the national level isn’t new to Negron, whose CAP career began in 1989 as a cadet and has included leadership at the squadron, wing, group, and region levels since he rejoined CAP as an adult in 1996. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he led a team of Florida Wing staff and group commanders in implementing remobilization throughout the wing.
He worked with National Headquarters and monitored the daily status of the pandemic in Florida to keep members and national staff informed.
Before he was named wing commander, Negron served as Southeast Region emergency services director and as Florida Wing mobilization team leader and Group 7 commander. A native of San Juan, he previously served in the Puerto Rico Wing as vice commander, chief of staff, emergency services director, and group commander.
His accolades within CAP include two Meritorious Service Awards, two Exceptional Service Awards, and a Distinguished Service Award.
Outside CAP, Negron was the operations duty officer for Coast Guard Air Station Miami, one of the busiest Coast Guard stations in the nation. He was responsible for dispatching aircraft during rapidly changing priorities in a high-pressure, fast-paced environment including coordination with federal, state. and local agencies.
He also served as command center supervisor for Coast Guard Sector Miami, with duties that included managing situational awareness and coordinating responses to maritime incidents, including search and rescue, law enforcement, and national defense operations.
As command center supervisor of 7th Coast Guard District, Miami, encompassing 1.8 million square nautical miles, he managed the busiest command center in the U.S.
During his 29-year tenure in the Coast Guard, Negron managed more than 13,000 search and rescue and law enforcement missions. He was responsible for timely coordination of available Department of Homeland Security resources and was credited with saving 6,471 lives and seizing more than 37,000 kilograms of illegal drugs.
Negron now works for the Walt Disney World Resort team as a security operations manager for Disney’s Animal Kingdom. He oversees operations throughout the team’s parks and resorts to ensure guests and cast members follow security policies, regulations, rules, and norms.
He has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice/homeland security from Saint Leo University in St. Leo, Florida, where he graduated magna cum laude. He’s also a graduate of the Coast Guard Senior Leadership Course and the Chief Petty Officer Academy.
“As your incoming national command chief, I am deeply honored to represent the noncommissioned officer corps and indeed, all members of Civil Air Patrol as we continue to uphold our core missions and advance our impact across the nation,” Negron said.
“I’m particularly energized by the opportunity to champion and empower our outstanding NCO corps. My commitment is to serve each of you, listen intently, and work tirelessly to strengthen our organization from the ground up.
“My pledge is to be a steadfast advocate for our members, ensuring you have the resources, training, and support needed to excel in your vital contributions to emergency services, aerospace education, and cadet programs. Together, we will continue to achieve remarkable things.”
Unlike Negron, Garrison is a relative newcomer to CAP. Since joining in 2022 “to get more involved in aviation,” though, he has made quite an impression.
Garrison quickly moved through CAP’s emergency service qualifications, becoming a mountain certificated mission pilot, an Unmanned Aircraft Systems mission pilot, and an air branch operations director. From 2023 to this year, he served as the Colorado Wing’s director of unmanned aircraft systems.
He’s also involved in Cadet Programs, previously serving in one of CAP’s largest cadet squadrons in Colorado Springs and as a wing encampment training officer.
He also serves as an aerospace education office and as a Volunteer University instructor, and he has helped with Teacher Orientation Program Flights.
Before his recent selection as incoming NCO advisor, Garrison was a CAP captain. He resigned as an officer in May and became a CAP chief master sergeant based on his experience and rank in the U.S. Air Force.
“Chief Garrison brings experience in talent acquisition, innovation, property management, and more,” Aye said. “With more than 24 years in the Air Force and experience working with First Air Force and Northern Command, he is going to be able to contribute significantly to our efforts in key areas.”
As part of his newly assigned duties, Garrison will work with Negron and region NCO advisors to formulate plans and establish policies, procedures, and programs designed to assist CAP in attracting active and retired enlisted servicemembers.
Garrison enlisted in the Air Force in 1999 and served as a tactical air control party, or TACP, with a joint terminal attack controller certification. TACP is a specialized individual or team within the Air Force that coordinates air support for ground forces.
During his military career, Garrison served in numerous leadership positions and completed one tour in Germany, two tours in Afghanistan, and five tours in Iraq.
He retired from the Air Force in 2024 with over 24 years of service. He is a recipient of the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart Medal, and the Meritorious Service Medal with five oak leaf clusters.
Garrison also brings a long history of volunteer service to his role, with over 15 years in fire service and ski patrols before joining CAP. His fire service and ski patrol time mirror his military service; he served as a firefighter in Indiana, Kansas, North Carolina, Alaska, and Texas and ski patrol participant in Germany, New Mexico, and Colorado.
In 2017, he was recognized for his volunteer leadership and was named as one of the U.S. Junior Chamber’s Ten Outstanding Young Americans.
Outside CAP, Garrison is serving as a contractor for the U.S. Space Command. He holds several Federal Aviation Administration certificates, including commercial pilot with an instrument rating, remote pilot, ground instructor, and light sport repairman with a maintenance rating.
