Chief of Staff
Lt. Col. Christopher J. Howell
Lt. Col. Christopher J. Howell
Maryland Wing Chief of Staff
Lt. Col. Christopher Howell currently serves in his second tour as the Maryland Wing Chief of Staff. He brings more than 35 years of Civil Air Patrol experience to the position, including service as a former squadron commander, group commander, and wing vice commander. As Chief of Staff, Howell serves the wing commander’s by overseeing the support staff and as advisor on all matters related to management of the wing’s headquarters unit.
As a cadet, Lt. Col. Howell joined Maryland Wing’s former Fred V. Cherry Composite Squadron in 1984, transferring to the Towson Composite Squadron later that same year. In 1986, Howell earned the Gen. Billy Mitchell Award. After becoming a senior member, Lt. Col. Howell remained at Towson and was actively involved in the emergency services mission while serving as the squadron’s emergency services officer and a ground team leader. Later he became the Towson Composite Squadron commander for five years before joining the staff of Group II, serving first as administrative officer then group deputy commander for four years prior to assuming command of Group II. A position in which he served for two years. Most recently he served for 4 years as Maryland Wing Vice Commander of Forces.
Lt. Col. Howell is heavily qualified in the emergency services mission of Civil Air Patrol, holding qualifications as incident commander, operations section chief, planning section chief, and air operations branch director, previously on ground teams and aircrews. Lt. Col. Howell also served as the wing’s counterdrug officer beginning in 2008. He holds private pilot’s ratings in both airplane-single-engine-land and rotorcraft-helicopter.
Lt. Col. Howell holds a CAP master ratings in flight operations and command, a senior rating in professional development, and technician ratings in communications and cadet programs. He has completed Level IV of the CAP professional development program and was awarded the Paul Garber Award. He has been awarded an Exceptional Service Award, a Meritorious Service Award, three Commander’s Commendations, a Unit Citation Award, and a CAP Achievement Award. He was named Maryland Wing’s Senior Member of the Year in 2011.
Lt. Col. Howell is a graduate of the Community College of Baltimore County and holds a Bachelor’s degree in CyberSecurity from the University of Maryland University College. He is employed as a Supervisory IT Specialist with the U.S. Navy and holds certifications both as a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer and a Certified Information Systems Security Professional.
Lt. Col. Howell is married to Lana and is the father of two daughters, Emma and Abigail. He also serves as a member of the Board of Trustees and treasurer of the Baltimore Streetcar Museum. In his spare time, he enjoys tracing his family tree.
