Chief of Staff
Lt Col David Hartin, serves as the Chief of Staff of the Alabama Wing, Civil Air Patrol. He assumed this duty April 1, 2023. Prior to this assignment he served as the Assistant Chief of Staff from June 8, 2017. Joining CAP in 2014, he has held positions at the squadron, group and wing level. These include Public Affairs Officer, Wing Historian, Director of Personnel and Administration, Group Deputy Commander and Group Commander. He holds master levels in Historian, Public Affairs, Personnel, Administration, Professional Development and Safety specialty tracks. He holds senior level in Command, Communications and Emergency Services. A graduate of Regional and National Staff College, he currently serves as an instructor in Civil Air Patrol Volunteer University and with the NESA-Mobile Training Team.
Lt Col Hartin retired from the United States Army Reserve in 2023 as a Colonel, Transportation Corps. During his 30 years of commissioned service, he held two company and four field grade commands. His field grade commands include a Military History Detachment, a Press Camp Headquarters, a Transportation Terminal Battalion and a Deployment Support Brigade. Staff service includes Operations Officer for an Armed Forces Reserve School, S-4 and S-2 for a Combat Engineer Group, Staff Transportation Officer and Logistics Staff Officer for an Army Reserve Command. His terminal assignment was Director, Replacement Operations Directorate 3rd United States Army Personnel Command (PERSCOM). He also served as Acting Commander for the PERSCOM He holds the 5X-“Historian” and the 7Z-“Logistician” additional skill identifiers. He is branch qualified in Ordnance, Military Police, Transportation, Quartermaster and Engineer. In addition, he holds the 46A Public Affairs Officer functional area designation.
He retired from the City of Tuscaloosa in December 2014 with over 38 years of service. For twenty of his 29 years as a member of the Tuscaloosa Police Department, Capt. Hartin was the Public Information Officer and Crime Stopper Coordinator. From 2005 until retirement, he served as Director, Tuscaloosa County Emergency Management Agency. He is a Certified Emergency Manager (CEM) through the International Association of Emergency Managers and Master Level Emergency Manager through the Alabama Association of Emergency Managers.
Lt Col Hartin is a lifelong resident of Tuscaloosa, Alabama. He is a graduate of Walker College and holds a Bachelors and Master of Criminal Justice degrees from the University of Alabama-Tuscaloosa. His military education includes the Ordnance Officers Basic Course, Transportation, Engineer and Quartermaster Advance Course, Command & General Staff College, Associate Logistical Executive Development Course, Defense Information School and the Army War College.
He volunteers with a number of other organizations. These include: Northport Civitan-President, Military Officers Association of America ( MOAA) Chapter President, Tuscaloosa County Emergency Management Agency, Black Warrior Council, Boy Scouts of America, American Legion (Adjutant and Past Post and District Commander), Alabama V.O.A.D. (Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster) at large member of Board of Directors, and the Romulus Volunteer Fire Department and Secretary to Board of Directors.
Military awards include the Legion of Merit (2), Meritorious Service Award (4), Army Commendation Medal (2), Army Achievement Medal, Outstanding Volunteer Service Award (2), Armed Forces Reserve Medal with Gold Hourglass.
Lt Col Hartin is married to Jane Harris Hartin. They have two sons and four grandchildren. Both sons are Eagle Scouts. All are Vigil members of the Order of the Arrow. Jane is a retired teacher with Tuscaloosa City Schools.
