News

OKLAHOMA CITY – In a strategic move to better serve its primary customer, Oklahoma City-based Commuter Air Technology (CAT), an AGC Aerospace & Defense Company, has opened a satellite office in Tampa, Fla.

The new office is located near MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, which is the headquarters for the U.S. military’s Special Operations Command.   The office is led by Juan “Johnny” Alvarez, CAT’s Director of Special Operations Forces and Latin American Business Development.

Alvarez is responsible for all interactions with Special Operations and Latin America, including contract procurement and management of active projects.

“The U.S. Special Operations Command is becoming a more important customer for us, and we need to have a constant presence in Tampa to be able to respond to that customer,” said CAT President Darryl Wilkerson. “As a company that employs numerous alumni, CAT is uniquely qualified to provide the highest level of service to meet the demanding requirements of the Special Operation Forces.”

Alvarez joined CAT in April, bringing a distinguished military and civilian background to the position, including work in more than 30 countries around the world 

Alvarez began his military career in 1987 with the U.S. Navy, and was a Navy helicopter pilot assigned to the 20^th and 6^th Special Operations Squadrons as part of a military exchange program to the Air Force Special Operations Command.  He transitioned to the U.S. Air Force in 1998, where he held many highly regarded leadership positions during his tenure.

In 1996, during a counter drug mission, he was onboard an Ecuadorian Army helicopter that crashed into a river in an Ecuadorian jungle near the Columbian border.   Although the Army pilot was killed on impact, Alvarez and a Navy SEAL survived, though both sustained major injuries.

Alvarez lost his leg, but made history as the United States’ first military pilot to return to full combat flying status.

Since then, he has participated in and commanded combat and Special Operations Force missions worldwide, most recently in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. His final assignment was as the Defense and Air Attaché to Bolivia before he retired in September 2010.  He served as a Senior Fellow with the Joint Special Operations University since 2010.

“CAT is proud of its outreach efforts to veterans and wounded warriors,” Wilkerson said. “Our policies reflect our ethos of selfless service, and we feel that Johnny Alvarez embodies that attitude. We’re proud to have him as a member of CAT.”

CAT delivers certified aircraft and aircraft modifications, including high performance and flight characteristics enhancements, commuter and high-density passenger systems and support, corporate reconfigurations and cargo conversions. With over 20 years experience enhancing the King Air models, CAT offers a full line of technical services, such as program management, Aircraft Maintenance Management, Engineering and Developing, STC Process Management and Airworthiness Certifications.

AGC Aerospace & Defense, the unifying brand of private equity group Acorn Growth Companies, is a global supplier of technologies, systems and services that support key commercial and military programs. Capabilities within the AGC Aerospace & Defense portfolio range from financing, engineering, and integration services to manufacturing, logistics, and aircraft modifications. AGC Aerospace & Defense is organized into four operating groups: Composites, Finance, Integrated Defense, and Services.

For more information, please visit: www.agcaerospace.com.

Contact:  Lou Caporicci
Vice President of Business Development
Commuter Air Technology
Phone: (405) 405.792.7610