Faculty member named Pennsylvania Wing commander of CAP

An emergency management and homeland security instructor at Pennsylvania College of Technology has been appointed commander of the Pennsylvania Wing of the Civil Air Patrol.

Col. William A. Schlosser will lead the organization for the next three years. CAP’s Pennsylvania Wing comprises 43 squadrons with more than 1,600 volunteers.

“It is an honor to have been selected as the 20th commander of the Pennsylvania Wing of the Civil Air Patrol,” Schlosser said. “From shaping the future of its members through aerospace and leadership development to providing operational support to the United States Air Force to complete its domestic missions, Civil Air Patrol members are an amazing group of individuals that I am grateful to be a part of.”

Founded in 1941 to mobilize the nation’s civilian aviation resources for national defense service, CAP, an auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, has evolved into a premier public service organization that carries out emergency service missions when needed – in the air and on the ground. The organization also promotes aviation and related fields through aerospace and STEM education and shapes future leaders through its cadet program.

“I joined CAP about a year and a half after 9/11,” he said. “I had a strong desire to serve, as was the case with most of my peers, but I wanted to point my service toward search and rescue. After some research and visiting the Williamsport Composite Squadron, I joined on April 28, 2003. I believe strongly in the missions and core values of CAP. Everything from our air defense missions, to getting elementary students excited about aviation and science, to creating pathways of service and growth for people of all ages, and all the other things we do, I am really excited and energized by being a part of the team that makes it happen.”

Schlosser had served as vice commander of CAP’s Pennsylvania Wing since 2019. He previously held the positions of deputy chief of staff for operations for CAP’s Northeast Region and director of operations for the Pennsylvania Wing.

Highlights of his CAP career include serving as the training officer at the Pennsylvania Wing Basic Cadet Encampment; serving as the incident commander for hundreds of missions, including Hurricane Sandy in New Jersey, Hurricanes Irma and Maria (with the Puerto Rico Wing), and for a vaccination mission in Philadelphia; and working with the Pennsylvania National Guard to jointly benefit the state’s domestic operations missions.

Among his CAP honors are: Incident Command Staff of the Year Award, Commander’s Commendation, Exceptional Service Award and Meritorious Service Award.

Schlosser has graduated from the Air Command and Staff College and is nearing graduation from the Air War College. Both are operated by Air University, U.S. Air Force. He holds a master’s degree in emergency and disaster management from American Military University and a bachelor’s degree in music from Mansfield University. Schlosser is an Eagle Scout.

He began teaching full time at Penn College in August 2022.

He is the school safety and security coordinator for Southern Tioga School District. He volunteers as the emergency management coordinator for Mansfield Borough, where he resides, and also serves on Mansfield Borough Council and chairs its Safety Committee.

Penn College offers a Bachelor of Science degree in emergency management & homeland security – with on-campus and online options.

For more about Penn College, a national leader in applied technology education,  email the Admissions Office or call toll-free 800-367-9222.