John Cappello

Rooted in Service, He Reached for the Skies

“Every opportunity I’ve had — the opportunity to attend the Air Force Academy, to serve my country, to live my dream, I’ve had because I grew up in this community. I’m running for Congress to make sure people here can continue to have those opportunities now, and for generations to come.”

 -John Cappello

John with his parents visiting during his assignment in South Dakota

John Cappello grew up in Suffern. His dad was a New York City Firefighter and his mom worked for the Town of Ramapo.

Steeped in public service, John graduated from Suffern High School and was offered an appointment to the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. In his more than 25-year career as an Air Force officer, John was qualified as a B-1 Bomber pilot and later served key assignments in Ukraine and at the U.S. Embassies in Israel and Serbia.

Read more about John’s remarkable journey below.

Born in the Bronx, Raised in Rockland County

“I was born in the Bronx, in the same neighborhood where my father grew up. When I was three years old, we moved to Suffern. My parents wanted to raise their family 'upstate'.

I went to Cherry Lane Elementary school, Airmont Middle School, Suffern Junior High, and finally Suffern High School.

Looking back, I never thought much about whether we were middle class, but I do know we never wanted for anything. My father always worked more than his primary job as a fireman, and my mother raised my brother, sister, and me before later working for the Town of Ramapo. They gave us more than they ever had themselves, without question or hesitation. My parents gave us the American dream, and I am forever grateful.

When I was 8 or 9, we flew to Florida to visit my aunt. With my face pressed against the window the entire flight from New York to Ft. Lauderdale, I fell in love with flying. I knew right then and there that I’d be a pilot one day.

Two teachers went out of their way to help me on my path to the Air Force Academy. I didn't know much about how to become a pilot or about the opportunities the military offered, but Mr. Galindez, my junior high school science teacher, mentored me for years and prepared me to apply to the Academy, guiding me through the process; while Mr. Jaeger, my high school history teacher, taught civics, and what it meant to be a good citizen..

Setting My Sights Higher

John graduating from the Air Force Academy

At the Academy, I planned to study aeronautical engineering — after all, that’s what I thought every astronaut should study (and we all wanted to be astronauts!). But I found myself drawn more to history, political science, and international affairs. I ended up majoring in Political Science with a minor in Russian Area Studies, which set me on the path I’ve followed ever since. I also played varsity lacrosse for three years, walking on my sophomore year and earning a spot on the team taught me a lot about discipline, teamwork, and perseverance.

Following graduation, I attended undergraduate pilot training (UPT) at Laughlin Air Force Base in Del Rio, Texas. After a year of pilot training, I was selected to fly the B-52 and was assigned to Loring Air Force Base in Caribou, Maine. I went from living a few miles from the Mexican border to living a few miles from the Canadian border.

Duty Calls

When Sadam Hussein invaded Kuwait, I deployed to Diego Garcia, a key strategic location in the Indian Ocean, for the first Gulf War. The following year I was selected to fly the B-1 and went on to fly the aircraft during assignments at McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita, Kansas, and Ellsworth Air Force Base in Rapid City, South Dakota. While stationed in Wichita, I earned my Master's degree in Political Science from Wichita State University and later studied Russian in St. Petersburg, Russia during a language immersion course.

My military service provided me the opportunity to live across the United States, and wherever I was stationed, I made it a priority to give back to the community. Living off base allowed me to connect more closely and contribute in meaningful ways. In Caribou, Maine, I volunteered as a mentor and in Wichita, Kansas, I participated in the Big Brothers program.

In Rapid City, I mentored Native American youth, taught at Oglala Lakota Tribal College and National American University, and served as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer for more than two years standing up for children who experienced abuse or neglect. These experiences connected me to the community and shaped how I understood service beyond the military.

Between flying assignments, I was selected to serve on the faculty in the political science department at the Air Force Academy, and as instructor pilot for cadets and women’s lacrosse coach.

In 2002 I was assigned to Kyiv, Ukraine to the Military Liaison Office, where I managed a program that coordinated exchanges and cooperation with the Ukrainian military. I was then assigned to U.S. European Command in Stuttgart, Germany where I served on the J-5 staff, responsible for Strategy, Plans, and Policy.

At the headquarters in Germany, I was responsible for the Western Balkans and traveled extensively in the region to support U.S. policy. I worked closely with the embassy staffs and spent considerable time in Croatia, North Macedonia, Slovenia, Romania, and Bulgaria. This assignment was eye-opening and sparked my interest in serving at a U.S. embassy. I was later selected to serve as the U.S. Air Force Attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade, Serbia. Midway through my three-year tour, in 2008, I became the acting Defense Attaché.

It was during this assignment in Belgrade that I learned about the rescue during World War II of more than 500 American airmen from occupied Serbia. I learned about this amazing story my very first week in Serbia, and it remains an important part of who I am and what I do today.

After Belgrade, I was assigned to the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel, where I served two assignments, the first three years as U.S. Air Force Attaché and the second, after my retirement from the Air Force, supporting the U.S. Missile Defense Agency. While in Tel Aviv I studied at University of Tel Aviv for a masters in Middle East Studies.

Serving My Country in New Ways

After leaving government service in 2015, I moved to Washington DC to become a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD,) where I led the military affairs program for two years. I then worked as country manager for Spirit of America, where I led the Serbia program, providing support in areas where government funding is not always readily available, and improving U.S. standing in the country.

At a school in Serbia, working with Spirit of America

Spirit of America (SoA) brought me on to prove a strong focus on a single country could have an amplified impact. And we did… in 18 months in Serbia, we implemented more than 50 projects, achieving measurable results and building strong local relationships. Our pace of progress exceeded expectations, and the U.S. Embassy asked us to align our efforts more closely with their operational tempo. We adjusted accordingly, ensuring our work continued to support diplomatic and defense priorities.

The experience reinforced my belief that persistence and consistency would have an impressive positive impact. We made a real difference, and the potential for even greater impact was clear.

Meeting with a World War II veteran in the Serbian countryside

Coming Home

My career has given me the opportunity to see the world and to understand our role in it, but even more, it’s made me appreciate the ripple effects that strong communities like ours can have far beyond our borders.



I think about the life my parents were able to provide for us on their middle-class salaries, and worry that the opportunities I had are becoming more and more out of reach for families like mine. And I think about how our Congressman — the person whose job is to be our Representative in Washington has sold us out to curry favor with a President whose tactics are divisive, focusing on what separates us rather than what brings us together.

I’m coming home to continue to serve. To make sure somebody’s looking out for people like my parents, like my siblings, and like the people I meet in our communities every day.

This isn’t about me — as I said, I’ve already lived my dream. It’s about making sure future generations have the opportunity to live theirs as well."