CPT Darin Ninness is CadetStuff's Managing Editor, a high-wire act that is akin to herding cats with the crew of crazies found here. He's responsible for the monthly production schedules, what articles are run, and keeping the Senior Editor from embarassing the rest of the staff.
CPT Ninness started his cadet "career" in Civil Air Patrol at Michigan Wing's Van Dyke Cadet Squadron in 1981. From 1981 to 1986, he completed the 15 achievements of the CAP cadet program, attended the Drummond Island Search & Rescue School, earned the General Billy Mitchell and Amelia Earhart Awards, and served on the staff of four of the six encampments he attended.
In 1986, he enlisted in the active-duty United States Army as a Medium Helicopter Reparier, stationed in the Republic of Korea for nearly all of his enlistment as a crew chief & flight engineer in the only CH-47C unit remaining in the active Army at that time. In 1989, he was reassigned to the Michigan Army National Guard's intermediate aviation maintenance activity and served as a maintenance team leader and maintenance test flight crewmember while qualified on the AH-1 Cobra and the AH-64 Apache attack helicopters.
At the same time, CPT Ninness renewed his links to cadetting in the Civil Air Patrol, including both command and staff billets at the local and state levels. He has been a CAP squadron commander five times, most recently as the commander of the New Hampshire Wing's Concord Composite Squadron, the 2000, 2002 & 2004 and 2008 wing Squadron of Merit, and 2004 Northeast Region Squadron of Distinction. He was named the NH Wing Squadron Commander of the Year for 2001 and 2008, and served as the Director of Cadet Programs for NH Wing. In 2009, he retired from Civil Air Patrol with 28 years of service.
In 2006, CPT Ninness joined the United States Army Cadet Corps (then called the "American Cadet Alliance") serving as the Director of Officer Professional Development in the Education & Training Directorate (G-7) at Headquarters, USAC. He also serves as the Office-in-charge of the USAC's Demonstration Parachute Team.
He has two childen, fortunately for them not of cadet age, and is the IT Manager for a small distribution company in Bedford, New Hampshire. In his copious spare time, Darin is an US Parachute Association licensed Master Parachutist (D-19617).