4th Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman
Ramón Colón-López (born October 21, 1971) is a retired senior non-commissioned officer of the United States Air Force and a former pararescueman, and served as the 4th Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman (SEAC) from December 13, 2019 to November 3, 2023. In his role as SEAC, Colón-López was the most senior enlisted member of the United States military. In 2007 he was the only Hispanic American among the first six airmen to be awarded the newly created Air Force Combat Action Medal. He served as the Senior Enlisted Leader of United States Africa Command from September 2016 to November 2019.
Early life and family.
Colón-López was born to Vilma López 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 United States Air Force and trained as a Transportation Specialist.
Military career.
After graduating basic military training as a Transportation Specialist at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, Colón-López 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 as part of a joint task force to several classified locations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. 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 T. Michael Moseley at the Air Force Memorial, in Washington, D.C. 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 Sergeant Byron P. Allen; Master Sergeant Charlie Peterson; Staff Sergeant Daniel Paxton; and Captain Allison K. Black.
After leaving the PJ/CRO Schoolhouse Colón-López 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 United States 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, Colón-López 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 that led to him 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 Technical Sergeant (E-6) 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.
In May 2022, Colon-Lopez received an honorary rank of master chief by the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard, MCPOCG Heath B. Jones. 
In 2023, he was honored in his hometown of Guánica, Puerto Rico with a road named after him as "Carretera SEAC Ramon Colon Lopez" on HWY 1116, and on October 24, 2023, he was the inaugural recipient of the Euripides Rubio Medal, presented by the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico for an accomplished military career with significant valorous combat actions and honor.
As the SEAC, Colon-Lopez became the first enlisted member of the United States Armed Forces to be awarded the Defense Distinguished Service Medal for outstanding contributions to national security in a position of great responsibility. The Defense Distinguished Service Medal is the United States Department of Defense's highest non-combat related military award and it is the highest joint service decoration.
Awards, decorations and honors.
Colón-López' military decorations and badges are the following:
Other awards
Notes.
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References.
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