- December 4, 2025
Front row: Maj. Robert K. McFadden, Lt. Col. Joseph B. Wisniewski, Maj. Kristen L. Miller, Staff Master Sgt. Diana L. Browning, Cadet 2nd Lt. Caleb D. Thoma, Mayor Jason Leslie and Cadet Maj. Brenden C. Muessig. Middle row: Commissioner Travis Sargent; Barry Cotton, Central Florida District director for Sen. Rick Scott. Back row: Airport Manager Steven Lichliter and Lt. Col. Larry Spangler. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Ormond Beach Civil Air Patrol cadets (left to right) Sr. Airman Veera Cullum, Master Sgt. Alan Schultz, Cadet A1C Jacob Ridenhour perform drills led by Senior Member Christian Romaguera in front of their new and renovated facility at the Ormond Beach Municipal Airport. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Ormond Beach Civil Air Patrol cadets (left to right) Sr. Airman Veera Cullum, Master Sgt. Alan Schultz, Cadet A1C Jacob Ridenhour perform drills led by Senior Member Christian Romaguera in front of their new and renovated facility at the Ormond Beach Municipal Airport. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
David Klein and Anthony Canevello stand in front of a table full of gear. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Ormond Beach Civil Air Patrol cadets stand at attention in front of their new training facility at the Ormond Beach Municipal Airport. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Cadet Chief Master Sgt. Matthew Langston leads the posting of the colors during the Civil Air Patrol open house on Saturday, Sept. 6. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Civil Air Patrol's Color Guard: Cadet Master Sgt. Matthew Langston, Cadet Master Sgt. Matthew Wickman, Cadet Staff Sergeant Scott Wright and Cadet Airman Kaden Bonanno post the colors during the open house for their new facility on Saturday, Sept. 6. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
City Airport Manager Steven Lichliter speaks as Commander Lt. Col. Joseph Wisniewski and Maj. Kristen Miller listen during the ribbon-cutting. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Front row: Maj. Robert K. McFadden, Lt. Col. Joseph B. Wisniewski, Maj. Kristen L. Miller, Staff Master Sgt. Diana L. Browning, Cadet 2nd Lt. Caleb D. Thoma, Mayor Jason Leslie and Cadet Maj. Brenden C. Muessig. Middle row: Commissioner Travis Sargent; Barry Cotton, Central Florida District director for Sen. Rick Scott. Back row: Airport Manager Steven Lichliter and Lt. Col. Larry Spangler. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Commander Lt. Col. Joseph Wisnieski recognizes K&G Aviation. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Commander Lt. Col. Joseph Wisnieski recognizes K&G Aviation. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Commander Lt. Col. Joseph Wisnieski recognizes Ormond Beach Mayor Jason Leslie. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Commander Lt. Col. Joseph Wisnieski recognizes Ormond Beach Mayor Jason Leslie and City Commissioner Travis Sargent. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Lt. Col. Joseph Wisnieski, Lt. Col. Larry Spangler, Ormond Beach Mayor Jason Leslie and City Commissioner Travis Sargent. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
The Ormond Beach Composite Squadron now has a building dedicated to training its cadets — the Aerospace Education Center — in addition to its renovated headquarters, which used to be a hangar. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
The Ormond Beach Composite Squadron celebrated the opening of its new cadet training facility with an open house and ribbon-cutting on Saturday, Sept. 6.
The new Aerospace Education Center, housed in a modular classroom, provides cadets with their own dedicated learning space. As a composite squadron, Ormond Beach's Civil Air Patrol is an Air Force Auxiliary unit and also has senior members. Previously, both groups operated out of one main building, an old 1970s hangar at the Ormond Beach Municipal Airport. That building has also now been renovated, and will serve CAP's seniors and house a professional meeting facility for air operations.
"Couldn't have done it without the city and the support of the mayor and the city folks who put a tremendous amount of effort and work into this to make this program work for us," said Squadron Commander Lt. Col. Joseph Wisnieski. "So now we have a professional building to train our cadets and move forward in the future."
According to Civil Air Patrol, the new building came after a potential donor asked if there was something the squadron could benefit from, which could also serve to honor the memory of a former aviator, educator and mentor.
And now, the new Aerospace Education Center honors the late William Brown, an Air Force veteran who worked as a professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
The concrete connecting the two buildings was donated by Kathy and Dave Traber.
Squadron Commander Lt. Col. Joseph Wisnieski said Civil Air Patrol has been very successful with its cadet training program in the last 24-36 months, with several cadets either currently in, or graduated, from the Air Force and Naval academies.
"And they've all started right here in this little building," Wisnieski said. "So as we grow and get a bigger building and better facilities, and more professional, we're going to be able to do a better job than what we have."
During the ribbon-cutting, Airport Manager Steven Lichliter presented K&G Aviation and Mayor Jason Leslie with certificates of appreciation, as well as presented the city, represented at the event by Leslie and City Commissioner Travis Sargent, with a proclamation of appreciation.
Leslie said the expansion of Civil Air Patrol's facility is a credit to past commissions.
"We're really glad to be part of that upgrade and help you facilitate that," he said.
Lt. Col. Larry Spangler, commander for Group 2 Florida Wing Civil Air Patrol, said the Ormond squadron is "extremely blessed and unique" to have its current leadershio.
"It's not just one person — it's the team, and they have been successful in converting what was a very hot building when it was a hangar into this state-of-the-art facility," Spangler said.
