For Valley Catholic High School theology teacher Dr. David King, a recent national recognition marks both a professional and personal milestone.
King has received the Gill Robb Wilson Award, the highest level of achievement in the Civil Air Patrol’s senior member education and training program, and has been promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel.
“It definitely feels like a capstone achievement,” King said. “It’s the culmination of a lot of work on a lot of different tracks.”
The award represents completion of Level V, the final phase of Civil Air Patrol’s leadership development program. The training spans hundreds of hours and includes leadership, emergency services, disaster response, chaplaincy, mentoring, risk management and strategic planning. It prepares members for leadership at the national level.
Presented by a member of Congress or a senior military officer, the Gill Robb Wilson Award is one of the organization’s most significant honors. Named for one of Civil Air Patrol’s founders and a key figure in establishing its Chaplain Corps, the award reflects a commitment to both leadership and service.
King’s journey with Civil Air Patrol began early. He first joined as a cadet at age 12, later returning as an adult member in 2011 to train as a chaplain. Over the years, he advanced through the organization’s ranks, earning promotion to captain, then major, and now lieutenant colonel after completing the final requirements in 2025.
“It’s definitely been a process,” King said.
That process included traveling to Hanscom Air Force Base in Massachusetts to complete in-person training, as well as years of experience in leadership roles. Among the most formative has been his involvement in Civil Air Patrol encampments, immersive, multi-day training experiences where cadets develop leadership skills, teamwork and discipline.
Dr. King has participated in five encampments, first as a cadet, where he was named “cadet of the encampment,” and later as a chaplain and training officer in Oregon, Wyoming, Hawaii and Washington.
“These are spaces where young people are learning how to lead and serve,” he said. “They stay with you.”
At the core of King’s work, both in Civil Air Patrol and at Valley Catholic, is a leadership philosophy centered on equipping others.
“I try to practice a leadership of equipping and empowerment,” he said. “It’s about helping people find their place to learn, grow and serve, and giving them the support they need to do that.”
That approach carries directly into his classroom. As a theology teacher, Dr. King draws on the Civil Air Patrol’s character development framework to help students reflect on purpose, vocation and service to others.
“There are lessons I bring in directly,” he said. “But more than that, it shapes how I think about helping students grow.”
While the award and promotion mark a significant professional achievement, the timing has also made the moment deeply personal.
King completed the requirements for the award and promotion in September 2025 and had planned to celebrate the milestone with his son, Karthik, who had also been involved in Civil Air Patrol. Just weeks later, his son died unexpectedly.
“From then until now, the story of this award has been wrapped up for me in the story of his death,” King said. “I would have rather celebrated it with him.”
He reflected on how life’s milestones often intersect with moments of loss, shaping their meaning in unexpected ways.
“It’s strange how our stories intertwine sometimes,” he said.
The award was presented by Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici, a requirement that underscores its national significance. For King, the recognition carries weight not only because of the honor itself, but because of the journey behind it.
Today, he continues to serve as the Oregon Wing Chaplain, overseeing the recruitment, training and support of chaplains and character development instructors across the state.
As he steps into his new role as lieutenant colonel, King remains focused on the same mission that has guided his work from the beginning: helping others grow into who they are called to be.
“It’s about creating meaning through service,” Dr. King said. “That’s what leadership is about.”
