Col. Dennis R. Bissell, commander of the North Carolina Wing, has been chosen to command Civil Air Patrol’s Mid-Atlantic Region.
Maj. Gen. Regena M. Aye, CAP’s national commander and CEO, selected Bissell to be the region’s next commander. “It’s a privilege to welcome Col. Bissell to the CAP Senior Advisory Group,” Aye said.
In addition to leading their wings, CAP’s eight region commanders serve as Aye’s advisers as members of the CSAG. They also help set the strategic direction of the organization (strategic planning, etc.), impact governance (through their work selecting CAP members to serve on the Board of Governors, review regulations, and recommend changes to the Constitution and Bylaws), and can approve honors (promotions to colonel, Silver Medals of Valor, life membership, and induction into the Hall of Honor).
Bissell will officially assume command of the Mid-Atlantic Region on Oct. 11 at the West Virginia Wing Conference. In addition to the North Carolina Wing, the region consists of the Delaware, Maryland, National Capital, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia wings.
Bissell, a Civil Air Patrol member for 21 years, has commanded the North Carolina Wing since January 2023. He has leadership experience at multiple levels of the wing and region. He serves on both the CAP Foundation Investment Committee and the National Uniform Committee.
Before becoming wing commander, he also served as one of the Mid-Atlantic Region liaison officers to Federal Emergency Management Agency Region 4 and as director of the Mid-Atlantic Search and Rescue College.
“Vision and humility are hallmarks of his leadership,” Aye said. “Col. Bissell brings a strategic perspective that allows him to see opportunities where others see obstacles. He listens actively, acts with integrity, empowers his team, and consistently cultivates an environment where collaboration thrives.
“Col. Bissell reminds us that leadership isn’t about commanding people but helping others see the possibilities and grow.”
Bissell said he is “extremely humbled and excited for the opportunity” to continue to serve Civil Air Patrol and its missions for America. “The Mid-Atlantic Region has a long and proud history of excellence, and I look forward to working with all my fellow volunteers, national staff team members, and our CAP-USAF partners in this new role,” he said.
“Gen. Aye has set a high bar for leaders in our organization, and I am grateful for the trust she has placed in me to lead Mid-Atlantic Region.”
Bissell joined CAP as a cadet in October 1992 and held various youth leadership roles as part of the North Carolina Wing’s Triad First Flight Squadron, including cadet commander.
As an adult member, he has commanded the Burlington Composite Squadron and North Carolina Wing Legislative Squadron and served as the wing’s inspector general, chief of staff (twice), vice commander, liaison officer to North Carolina Emergency Management, and director of emergency services.
Bissell holds CAP Master ratings in aerospace education, cadet programs, emergency services, command, operations, logistics, and inspector general. He holds a Senior rating in communications.
He is active in CAP’s operational and emergency services missions, supporting North Carolina Wing and Mid-Atlantic Region responses to several natural disasters (most recently Hurricane Helene), search and rescue missions, and other homeland security missions.
“We were very blessed as a wing to be able to help the state and our fellow North Carolinians respond and begin the process of recovery from the hurricane,” Bissell said of his wing’s Helene response in the fall of 2024.
“It was very much a highlight for me to be part of the organization during that time and see how incredible volunteers can make such an impact,” he said.
Bissell holds multiple mission qualifications, including incident commander — level 1, ground team leader, and mission pilot. He is a graduate of the National Inland Search and Rescue Planning Course as well as the Basic Inland Search and Rescue Course.
He also graduated from National Staff College in 2015, the National Inspector General Course in 2020, and Air War College in 2023. Over his CAP career, Bissell has been recognized with numerous awards and commendations. He has received four Commander’s Commendations, one National Commander’s Commendation, four Meritorious Service Awards, and five Exceptional Service Awards.
He has also been recognized as North Carolina Wing Inspector General of the Year, Aerospace Education Officer of the Year, and Incident Command Team Member of the Year and Mid-Atlantic Region Incident Command Team Member of the Year.
Outside CAP, Bissell has more than 20 years of experience in the financial services industry. He returned to North Carolina in 2004 to pursue career opportunities with Jefferson-Pilot Financial (now Lincoln Financial Group) and is a financial adviser at Prosperity Advisors, LLC, in Greensboro.
He holds a Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Series 7, 63, a North Carolina Life and Health License, and multiple professional designations that include Certified Financial Planner, Chartered Life Underwriter, Chartered Financial Consultant, and Life Underwriters Training Council Fellow.
Bissell earned a bachelor’s degree in managerial economics from Hampden-Sydney College in Prince Edward County, Virginia, and a master’s in business administration from East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina.
Bissell’s daughter, Cadet Lt. Col. Sara Bissell, is an active member of the Guilford Composite Squadron and a recent Cadet Wings graduate, No. 413. She’s focused on continuing her progress in the CAP Ranger program to become a master medic. His son, Denny H. Bissell, just completed seventh grade and hopes to pursue a career in engineering, designing aircraft and other mission-critical systems for the Department of Defense.
