Plum Appointed Interim Nebraska Wing Commander
Nebraska Wing Welcomes Interim Commander
Colonel David E. Plum has been appointed as the interim commander of the Nebraska Wing, Civil Air Patrol. He brings extensive experience and dedication to the role.
Colonel Plum’s journey with CAP began in 2002 in the Missouri Wing as a founding member of the Pony Express Composite Squadron in St. Joseph, Missouri. His service includes a previous term as Nebraska Wing Commander from March 2010 to March 2014. After his successful leadership of the Nebraska Wing, he served as the North Central Region Director of Safety and later as the NCR Director of Standards and Evaluations.
From May 2016 to May 2020, Colonel Plum served as Chief of Staff for NCR, following his service as NCR Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations beginning in March 2015. Prior to his appointment as Nebraska Wing interim commander, he was serving as the NCR Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations.
Colonel Plum holds master ratings in Command, Cadet Programs, Aerospace Education, Standards and Evaluations, and Health Services specialty tracks. He holds senior ratings in Safety and Operations specialty tracks. He completed Level V of the CAP Professional Development program, receiving the Gill Robb Wilson Award in 2006.
Colonel Plum is active in emergency services and 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, AFROTC orientation pilot, SAR/DR mission pilot, and transport mission pilot. He has provided flight instruction to cadets at National Flight Academy powered courses from 2003-2024.
Colonel Plum received a Doctor of Chiropractic Degree from Cleveland Chiropractic College of Kansas City. He serves as an FAA Aviation Safety Inspector and resides in Savannah, Missouri, with his wife Lt. Colonel Melissa Plum, former NCR Director of Finance.
As Colonel Plum's first order of business, he appointed new wing staff, choosing Lt. Colonel 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 grow wing membership, revitalize programs, and keep operations focused on CAP's mission. He spoke of fostering respect by being present and engaging in serious conversations. He requested from members that when addressing issues, explain why they are problematic, and offer improvement solutions. Recognizing that everyone is busy, he instills the need to prioritize clear communication and transparency and to maintain an appropriate perspective throughout.
The Nebraska Wing is fortunate to have Colonel Plum as interim commander. His extensive experience, dedication to safety, and commitment to education make him an outstanding leader, poised to uphold the high standards of excellence for CAP operations in Nebraska.
