Do you know who you are serving with?

By: Lt Col Brian N. Ready, Vice Wing Commander, Arizona Wing

Events of the last few weeks have made me think I really don’t know who I am serving with in CAP. I don’t mean in a bad way like a predictable novel or reality TV show, but a realization to look beyond the present. If you think of your CAP experiences, it is usually with a group of people who are recent acquaintances and we don’t really know everyone’s past.

This became evident to me recently while reading the biography of Chaplain (Lt Col) Morris Courtright. I knew Morris Courtright as a CAP Chaplain, Mission Pilot and long time member, however I was unaware of his other career accomplishments. Chaplain Courtright was a retired Air Force officer, served as a Network Controller on the manned spaceflight Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs and as Chief of Computer Operations for the worldwide satellite tracking and data gathering network to name a few. As a fan of the manned spaceflight program, I missed an opportunity to spend time with a spaceflight pioneer.

The pace of today’s life is fast and furious leaving little time for reflection. I now believe we need to take the time to learn more about the people we service with in CAP. At your next CAP meeting, set time aside to really get to know the people you serve with, I bet you will be surprised.

Chaplain Courtright, thank you for a life lesson and May you rest in peace.