Stephens City’s Steven Ritter recognized for 50 years of service in Civil Air Patrol

WINCHESTER, Va. (Mar 21, 2025) – Lieutenant Colonel Steven Ritter, of Stephens City, was recognized for serving in Civil Air Patrol for 50 years. Brigadier General David V. Cochran, Assistant Adjutant General and Commander of the West Virginia Air National Guard, presented Lt. Col. Ritter with a plaque at the Winchester Composite Squadron’s annual banquet at Historic Rosemont Springs earlier this month.

In December 1974, Steven Ritter and his family had just moved back to Virginia after his father retired from the U.S. Air Force, and shortly after establishing their home, Steven’s uncle (a prior Virginia Wing Commander) suggested that he join Civil Air Patrol to support ground search and rescue within the organization, especially due to the fact he already had plenty of outdoors skills from being an Eagle Scout. Through the years, within Civil Air Patrol, he has attained master ratings in Safety, Emergency Services, and Logistics, has served as an instructor at over 50 ground search and rescue academies, been on numerous missions for downed aircraft and has three ground finds from Civil Air Patrol missions.
 
Lt. Col. Ritter is well-known in the local community and throughout the Commonwealth. 31 years ago, he joined the Stephens City Volunteer Fire and Rescue Co., which is highly active and was dispatched to nearly 3,450 incidents in 2024. Lt. Col. Ritter currently serves as the Assistant Fire and EMS Chief. He is also the sworn volunteer Fire Marshal, and is responsible for all fire inspections of businesses within the town. For over 32 years, he has been employed as a Technical Instructor for the Virginia Department of Emergency Management and was employed with General Electric for 35 years, retiring as an Environmental Health and Safety Leader for a large industrial facility in Winchester where he was able to reduce OSHA record-able injuries from 92 per year to 0 over the span of 14 years.
 
Colonel Patrick Fulgham, Virginia Wing commander, commented, “Civil Air Patrol is grateful for Lt. Col. Ritter’s dedication and unwavering volunteer service to his community, state, and nation. It is individuals like Lt. Col. Ritter that inspire us to continue serving others.”