Chief of Staff

Major Luis J. Herrera joined Civil Air Patrol in February 1998 as a cadet of the Col Clara E. Livingston Cadet Squadron, where he served in multiple leadership roles including First Sergeant and Cadet Commander. His early experiences in Aerospace Education, Cadet Program activities, and orientation flight ignited his passion for aviation—ultimately shaping a career dedicated to flight operations and to giving back to the program that inspired him.
Upon transitioning to Senior Member status, Maj Herrera focused on his squadron membership growth, pilot development, and professional mentorship. He held progressive leadership assignments at both squadron and group level, including Personnel Officer, Education & Training Officer, Aerospace Officer, Cadet Programs Development Officer, and Emergency Services Officer. These roles built the foundation for a decade of service at the Wing level.
At Puerto Rico Wing, Maj Herrera has served in numerous key leadership positions including Director of Education and Training, Inspector General, Assistant Director of Operations, Assistant Counterdrug Officer, Assistant Personnel Officer, and Assistant Director of Aerospace Education. Most recently, he served as Puerto Rico Wing Director of Operations, where he developed operational plans, supervised all air operations programs, and oversaw aircraft utilization, procedures, and mission readiness across the wing.
Maj Herrera has completed all five levels of Civil Air Patrol’s Education and Training program, earning the Gill Robb Wilson Award in 2023—the highest professional development milestone available to Senior Members. He holds Master ratings in Professional Development, Personnel, Inspector General, and Operations, a Senior rating in Emergency Services, and Technician ratings in Aerospace Education and Cadet Programs. He has served as Director and Instructor for SLS and CLC, and as staff for TLC, RCLS, Region Staff College, Summer Encampments, Wing Conferences, and multiple cadet and senior training activities. He is also certified as a Volunteer University Instructor for Levels 1 through 5.
In Emergency Services, Maj Herrera holds qualifications as Mission Radio Operator, Air Operations Branch Director, Planning Section Chief, Operations Section Chief, and became an Incident Commander Level 3 in 2020. He is a CAP Command Pilot, Mission Check Pilot, CAP Observer, and holds a CAP Aircrew rating, actively supporting operational readiness and crew standardization.
Maj Herrera has been recognized with numerous awards and decorations including:
•    2023 Civil Air Patrol Col Edwin W. Lewis Incident Staff Member of the Year
•    2020 Southeast Region Incident Staff Member of the Year
•    2015 Civil Air Patrol Professional Development Officer of the Year
•    Exceptional Service Award (with one bronze clasp)
•    Meritorious Service Award (with one bronze clasp)
•    Commander’s Commendation Award – Wing level (with one silver & one bronze clasp)
•    CAP Achievement Award (with one bronze clasp)
Outside of Civil Air Patrol, Maj Herrera holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with minors in Marketing and Human Resources from the University of Puerto Rico. He is a corporate pilot with ProPilot LLC and serves as VIP Experience & Sales Manager for Brava Management Group. In addition to CAP service, he volunteers with other aviation-oriented organizations to promote youth flight education and support the development of the next generation of pilots.