Col. Annette Peters, the now-former commander of Civil Air Patrol’s New Mexico Wing, relinquished command of the wing at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., on Saturday, July 22. Peters, of White Rock, served as commander since 2019, including during the wing’s COVID-19 response missions. Photo Courtesy Kirtland AFB
Col. Annette Peters with her husband, Major Mark Peters in 2017 at a Civil Air Patrol function at Los Alamos Airport. Photo by Maire O’Neill
KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE NEWS RELEASE
Col. Annette Peters of White Rock has concluded her term as the first female commander of the over 650 Civil Air Patrol (CAP) volunteers across New Mexico today. She had been the wing’s commander since 2019. CAP is the civilian, volunteer, nonprofit auxiliary of the United States Air Force. She was succeeded by Col. Andrew Selph.
Peters is a native of Pojoaque and northern New Mexico, a graduate of the University of New Mexico and is formerly of Los Alamos National Laboratories. She joined CAP in 2001 with her husband and son, and has worked her way through the ranks, including serving as commander of the Los Alamos Squadron.
Her tenure as wing commander was notable for both the reorganization of the state’s CAP squadrons into three new, regional groups as well as the wing’s efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic, with missions that included flying COVID tests and vaccine around the state. With the conclusion of her term, her conditional promotion to colonel, which she received upon taking the wing commander’s job, became permanent. The job of wing commander, like most roles in CAP, is served as an unpaid volunteer.
“I can’t adequately express how honored I’ve been to lead our volunteers across the Land of Enchantment,” Peters said. “While I’m leaving the wing commander’s job behind, I can look back with pride at what we – not I – we accomplished as a wing in the last four years.”
About Civil Air Patrol: Founded in 1941 and established as the official civilian auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force seven years later, Civil Air Patrol is chartered by Congress as a nonprofit organization for the purposes of youth development, aerospace education and to promote general aviation. In an auxiliary role as a Total Force partner of the Air Force, CAP operates the world’s largest fleet of single-engine aircraft for search and rescue, disaster relief, training, and education. Civil Air Patrol is dedicated to serving America’s communities, saving lives, and shaping futures. Visit GoCivilAirPatrol.com for more information.
About CAP New Mexico Wing:
The New Mexico Wing was founded in World War II, shortly after the national CAP organization was created, and is one of 52 such wings nationally (all 50 states plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico). The over 600 CAP members in New Mexico are of many ages and from all walks of life. From cadets joining middle-school squadrons to complement their math, science, aviation or military interests to working-age people and retirees who look to continue to give back to their state and country, there are many opportunities for CAP volunteers in the Land of Enchantment. CAP squadrons are based in communities across the state including in Alamogordo, Albuquerque, Clovis, Edgewood, Farmington, Las Cruces, Los Alamos, Rio Rancho, Roswell, Santa Fe, Socorro and Taos. To learn more about CAP in New Mexico visit NMCAP.us.
Col. Annette Peters, the now-former commander of Civil Air Patrol’s New Mexico Wing, relinquished command of the wing at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., on Saturday, July 22. Peters, of White Rock, served as commander since 2019, including during the wing’s COVID-19 response missions.