National Leadership

Chaplain (Col.) John F. Reutemann III

Civil Air Patrol Chief of Chaplains

Chaplain (Colonel) John F. Reutemann III is the 22nd Chief of Chaplains, National Headquarters Civil Air Patrol, Maxwell Air Force Base, Montgomery, Alabama.

As a member of the CAP Senior Advisory Group, he establishes guidance and provides advice on matters pertaining to the religious requirements and spiritual fitness of CAP’s almost 70,000 civilian volunteers.

He leads the Chaplain Corps’ approximately 400 chaplains and 900 Character Development Instructors, comprising the largest volunteer chaplaincy in the world and a key component of the Air Force’s Total Force.

Reutemann joined CAP in 1996 as a cadet in the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Composite Squadron of the Maryland Wing, eventually serving as its cadet commander and later as the Group IV cadet commander.

During his cadet service, he was involved in the Maryland Wing Honor Guard and the Cadet Advisory Council, serving at the wing, region, and national levels.

He attended encampment each summer after joining CAP, first as a trainee in 1997 and eventually as cadet commander in 2003. He also attended the National Flight Academy for Gliders twice and National Blue Beret twice, serving as cadet commander there in 2001.

He served as a goodwill ambassador of the United States through the International Air Cadet Exchange Program to Canada in 2000 and Belgium in 2002.

In July 2002, shortly after graduating high school, Reutemann earned the Gen. Carl A. Spaatz Award and was promoted to the grade of cadet colonel.

After eight years of seminary formation, Reutemann was ordained a Catholic priest in June 2010 for his hometown Archdiocese of Washington, D.C.

His CAP service has included leadership in cadet programs, chaplaincy, spiritual fitness, character development, national-level advisory work, and support for members across the organization.