Ramón Colón López

Early life and family

Colón-López was born to Vilma and Ramon Colon-Torres in the city of Ponce, Puerto Rico, located in the southern coast of the island. His family moved to Bridgeport, Connecticut and in 1989, he graduated from Kolbe Cathedral High School. Colón-López wanted to pursue a degree in the field of biology and attended Sacred Heart University. However, after two semesters, on 10 December 1990, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and trained as a Transportation Specialist.

He is married to Janet K. McCaskill of Seagrove, North Carolina.

Military career

After graduating basic military training as a Transportation Specialist Lackland Air Force Base, Texas he was stationed at Iraklion Air Station in Crete. He was deployed during the Gulf War. In 1994, he volunteered for Pararescue duty training and completed his training in 1996 with 12 of his original 113 PJ candidates. After completing the PJ "pipeline" he was assigned to the 48th Rescue Squadron out of Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico. While a member of the 48th RQS he participated in various assignments, among which were Operation Southern Watch and Operation Northern Watch as Combat Search and Rescue Team Leader. He left the 48th RQS in January 1999 to join the 24th Special Tactics Squadron, located at Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina.

24th Special Tactics Squadron

From 1999 to 2005 Colón-López was a member of the 24th Special Tactics Squadron as a Special Tactics Element Leader. While a member of the 24th STS, from July 2002 to September 2004, Colón-López was deployed four times to Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom-Afghanistan as part of a joint task force to several classified locations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. While deployed he participated in a series of joint operations, including direct assaults and combat search and rescue missions. During this time he also protected future Afghanistan president, Hamid Karzai, and received his first Bronze Star Medal with valor for his actions under fire while supporting Karzai's security detail. His second Bronze Star Medal was for his actions after his helicopter was shot down during a mission in Afghanistan. After the helicopter crash landed two Navy SEALs and Colón-López assaulted fortified enemy positions, killing five combatants and ensuring the safety of the remaining crew. He was selected to create and implement the unit's compartmented Personnel Recovery Advance Force Operations team, which serviced the entire Joint Special Operations arena.

On March 11, 2004, Colón-López together with his Advance Force Operations Team and elements of the Afghan National Strike Unit, participated in an operation which required the capture of a high level target and a follow-on site exploitation with the intention of preventing the proliferation of chemical weapons. His helicopter drew hostile enemy fire yet Colón-López continued on his mission, which resulted in two enemy kills, the capture of 10 enemy troops and the destruction of multiple rocket propelled grenades and small caliber weapons. In January 2005, after Colón-López returned to the United States, he was named Superintendent of Training and later as interim Commandant of the Pararescue and Combat Rescue Officer School.

Later career

On June 13, 2007, Colón-López became the first Hispanic, and one of the first six airmen, to be awarded the newly created Air Force Combat Action Medal. It was bestowed upon him by Air Force Chief of Staff General Teed Michael Moseley at the Air Force Memorial, in Washington, DC. The medal was created to recognize Air Force members who are engaged in air or ground combat "outside the wire" in combat zones. Airmen who are under direct and hostile fire, or who personally engaged hostile forces with direct and lethal fire are eligible to receive the award. The other five airmen to receive the award were Major Steve Raspet; Master Sgt. Byron P. Allen; Master Sgt. Charlie Peterson; Staff Sgt. Daniel Paxton; and Capt. Allison K. Black.

After leaving the PJ/CRO Schoolhouse he returned to Pope Field and the 24th Special Tactics Squadron as the unit's Senior Enlisted Advisor from April 2009 to April 2011. As of 2009 a mannequin of Colón-López is featured at the U.S. Air Force Museum located in Dayton, Ohio, in the museum's "Warrior Airmen" exhibit.

After serving as the SEA for the 24th STS for two years he then served as the inaugural Group Superintendent of the 724th Special Tactics Group at Pope Field which was activated on 30 April 2011, however he only held the position for six months before becoming the Command Chief Master Sergeant of the 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field on November 30, 2011. In January 2013 Colón-López was reassigned to the 18th Wing at Kadena AB, Japan where he served as the wing's Command Chief. In addition to his traditional duties as a wing's Command Chief he also served as Kadena Air Base's senior enlisted liaison between the 18th Wing and enlisted personnel from other Department of Defense branches on Okinawa.

In 2013 the Air Force Professional Development Guide (PDG) featured an excerpt regarding Colón-López added in the "Enlisted Heritage" chapter, in which it refers to his actions in Afghanistan which led to his receiving the Air Force Combat Action Medal. The PDG is studied by airmen for the Promotion Fitness Examination portion of the Weighted Airman Promotion System which overall determines promotions to the ranks of Staff Sergeant (E-5) through Master Sergeant (E-7) Air Force-wide.

In June 2014 Colon-Lopez was selected to replace Chief Master Sergeant Shelina Frey as the command chief for United States Air Forces Central Command (USAFCENT).

Education

Assignments

1. April 1991 - October 1992, Traffic Management Specialist, 7276th Air Base Group, Iraklion Air Station, Crete, Greece
2. October 1992 - September 1994, Traffic Management Journeyman, 12th Transportation Squadron, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas
3. September 1994 - October 1996, Pararescue student, Det 1 342nd Training Squadron, Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico
4. October 1996 - February 1999, Pararescue Journeyman, 48th Rescue Squadron, Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico
5. February 1999 - January 2005, Special Tactics Element Leader, 24th Special Tactics Squadron, Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina
6. January 2005 - November 2006, Superintendent of Training/Chief Enlisted Manager, USAF PJ/CRO School, Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico
7. November 2006 - April 2009, Commandant, USAF PJ/CRO School, Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico
8. April 2009 - April 2011, Senior Enlisted Adviser, 24th Special Tactics Squadron, Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina
9. April 2011 - November 2011, Group Superintendent, 724th Special Tactics Group, Pope Field, North Carolina
10. November 2011 - January 2013, Command Chief, 1st Special Operations Wing, Hurlburt Field, Florida
11. January 2013 – June 2014, Command Chief, 18th Wing, Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan
12. June 2014 – Sept 2016, Command Chief, United States Air Forces Central Command, Southwest Asia
13. Sept 2016 – present, Senior Enlisted Leader, United States Africa Command, Kelley Barracks, Stuttgart, Germany

Awards, decorations and honors

Colón-López' military decorations and badges are the following:

Other awards