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Change of Command Ceremony Held at Brunswick County Composite Squadron

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(L to R): Lt Col Ed Angelovich, NC Wing Vice Commander; C/Lt Justin Endre; 1st Lt Karl Noffke, the incoming Commander of NC-170; and Maj Kathleen Nicholas, the outgoing Commander, at the Change of Command ceremony. Photo by Kermit Cox, EAA (click image to view full size)
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Maj Kathleen Nicholas relinquishes NC-170 Command to 1st Lt Karl Noffke

By Maj Martin Heller, CAP
Brunswick County Composite Squadron – Special Projects Officer

10/1/2019–SOUTHPORT, NC–MAR-NC-170 held a gala Change of Command ceremony on 1 Oct 2019.  Nearly 100 guests, plus local squadron members, attended the ceremony where Maj Kathleen Nicholas relinquished Command of the Brunswick County Composite Squadron to 1st Lt Karl Noffke.
 
CAP officers, commanders and members travelled from around the state to honor her outstanding efforts as NC-170's Commander. As a tireless worker, Maj Nicholas led the squadron for a four year term and excelled in all areas. By more than doubling the size of the squadron, Maj Nicholas was known for getting things done. Not only did she earn top ratings for unit inspections, the NC Wing counted on Maj Nicholas and her squadron in many projects. 
 
She personally taught and managed several aerial photography classes and held three separate CLC/SLS leadership development courses during her tenure. Her squadron obtained a utility trailer through local grants and converted it into a mobile command center; the only such trailer with its own Points of Distribution (POD) kit. Despite being stationed 3-hours away, her squadron also managed and led the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) tasking to support the AOPA Fly-in in Beaufort, NC. During the ceremony, her excellent work in soliciting and organizing the seminar materials for the 2019 NCWG Wing Conference was specifically cited as the top reason conference attendance broke all records.
 
Trained in air, ground and mission base operations, Maj Nicholas was always an integral part of the squadron. Her administration was top-notch and her caring for the squadron and its members was unmatched. She even made time to write a detailed newsletter, each and every month, highlighting squadron and member achievements, motivational stories and aerospace education (AE). AE was huge in the squadron as Maj Nicholas (twice) and two of her successors earned the NC Wing's Frank Brewer Memorial Aerospace Award over the past four years. The squadron also earned both the Cadet Quality Unit Award and the Aerospace Excellence Award every year during her tenure.
 
Maj Nicholas is succeeded in Command by 1st Lt Karl Noffke, the Squadron's Information Technology Officer and Assistant Operations Officer. 1st Lt Noffke is also the top hour flying pilot in NC-170 for FY2019 and is key to returning aircrews back home when they drop aircraft off for consolidated maintenance. 1st Lt Noffke had a full career in the USAR reserves and stepped up to support the squadron when the previous Commander-apparent had to back away from CAP due to family issues.
 
The Change of Command ceremony also signified NC-170 moving back to the Cape Fear Regional Jetport and operating out of the new terminal. The after-ceremony celebration allowed visitors to see the new airport terminal and for the squadron to have a home again.
 
Thank you Maj Nicholas for your many contributions to NC-170 and to the NC Wing.