AFCENT Command chief bids farewell after two years at AUAB

Published May 13, 2016
By Army Spc. Travis Terreo
U.S. Air Forces Central Command Public Affairs

AL UDEID AIR BASE, Qatar -- After two years as the Command Chief of the United States Air Forces Central Command, Chief Master Sgt. Ramon “CZ” Colon-Lopez is preparing to bid farewell.

Chief Colon-Lopez will be permanently assigned to the Pentagon after serving as the USAFCENT Command Chief for a period encompassing the entire war against Da’esh so far.

“It has been a great honor to serve as the USAFCENT Command Chief,” Colon-Lopez said. “I have had multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan as a Pararescueman (PJ) in the special operations community and I was able to put that experience to good use here making sure that our people, both U.S. and Coalition, were properly employed, trained, and equipped.”

Chief Colon-Lopez credits his previous assignments in the USAF as a logistician and a PJ for preparing him for the challenging duties of the USAFCENT Area of Responsibility (AOR).

“Everything we do as we grow up in the Air Force prepares us for what’s coming next, even if we can’t see it at the time,” he said. “Regardless of duty, my purpose has always been the same: helping other people. As a Transportation Specialist, it was about customer service and moving people. As a PJ, it was about saving lives, still helping others, but on a different level. And as Command Chief, I am still helping people, just on a much larger scale.”

Chief Colon-Lopez served as the Senior Enlisted Advisor to both Lt. Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr, Commander, United States Air Forces Central Command, and the previous USAFCENT commander, Lt. Gen. John Hesterman, by ensuring that enlisted forces, both U.S. and Coalition, were properly employed to meet the mission requirements.

“I traveled a lot in my time here,” said Colon-Lopez. “The best way to find, fix, and finish problems is to go out and see them first-hand. During those travels, I focused on what our Airmen, Soldiers, Marines, Sailors and Coastguardsmen stationed across our 20-nation AOR needed to keep carrying the torch. It is with great confidence that I state that not a single one of them will ever drop that torch and the mission will always get done.”

It is that fact, he stated, that will give any leader the confidence to move on, knowing that they are leaving behind an environment in which people can thrive, operate, and execute any given mission on any given day.

“USAFCENT has pushed forward a culture that is discipline-driven,” Colon-Lopez explained. “We focused on providing an example for all to follow, ensuring that everyone in our care was able to execute the mission, abide by our standards, and employ tactics flawlessly, while ensuring we remain the best fighting force in the world.”

Learning from our experiences is a big part of that, he added.
“My worst moments have always been my most memorable ones,” he explained. “It is during those moments of adversity where we can learn the most about our capabilities and limitations, as long as we are willing to pay attention to them and stay humble.”

When it comes to priorities, Colon-Lopez said, our service members should always come first. Being entrusted to lead people is the greatest honor a Command Chief receives. A true leader must also have the mental and physical abilities to set an example that others want to follow, one that ultimately sets one’s subordinates up for success.

“The advice I will always give Airmen is that they are Airmen first and technicians second,” he explained. “I think we sometimes lose sight of that because we are at war and we put a premium on those technical skills, but we must maintain a balance. It is our discipline and tradition that makes us Airmen, as evidenced daily in our fight against the enemy.”

“As this assignment comes to a close, I want to say that I am proud of the accomplishments of our service members and I appreciate their many sacrifices while being apart from their families,” said Chief Colon-Lopez. “Our duty is for the chosen few. From our families to our lethality, it is our fighting spirit, loyalty, and dedication that fuel our drive to succeed and maintain balance. This is our time, let’s make it count.”