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| News > Pararescueman drops into command chief slot |
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U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Ramon Colon-Lopez, 18th Wing command chief, sits among decorations in his office at the 18th Wing Headquarters on Kadena Air Base, Japan, Jan. 18, 2013. Colon-Lopez joined the Air Force after a year of college and became a pararescueman in 1996. Before taking the 18th Wing command chief position, Colon-Lopez was the 1st Special Operations Wing command chief at Hurlburt Field, Fla. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Hailey R. Davis)
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Pararescueman drops into command chief slot
Posted 1/22/2013 Updated 1/22/2013
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by Airman 1st Class Hailey Davis
18th Wing Public Affairs
1/22/2013 - KADENA AIR BASE, Japan -- EDITOR'S NOTE: Airman 1st Class Hailey Davis recently sat down to talk with the 18th Wing's new command chief, Chief Master Sgt. Ramon Colon-Lopez, who is known as 'Chief CZ'.
As he makes his way toward his new office at 18th Wing Headquarters, Chief Master Sgt. Ramon Colon-Lopez's maroon beret stands out from the rest. The pararescueman's handshake is as firm as his commitment to professionalism.
Colon-Lopez grew up in Puerto Rico, moving to the East Coast at the age of 13. He went to college right after high school, but he said his focus was somewhere else. After two semesters, he found his calling when he went to the recruiter and asked to join the U.S. Air Force.
"I needed some structure," Colon-Lopez said, who arrived this month. "I needed discipline, and I needed something more than just being in the same place that I had been for the past couple of years trying to make something happen."
The chief joined the Air Force as a Traffic Management Office specialist where he checked service members and their families in for Space-A flights at the passenger terminal. He polished his skills for four years as a first-term Airman, and planned on separating after his first enlistment.
"(Being a transportation specialist) gave me the opportunity to deploy," the chief explained. "While I was deployed during those three months, I felt fulfilled; it felt like 'now I'm really in the military.'"
"(Once I returned from my deployment) that's when I knew my passion; the closer I get to the frontlines, the happier I would be," he explained.
"When (then Master Sgt. Garry Lewry) approached me and asked me if I had ever thought about doing pararescue, I told him that I was in the process of getting out and not re-enlisting," Colon-Lopez explained.
Thanks to him, the chief decided to give the Air Force a second chance.
The next day Colon-Lopez joined the pararescueman for lunch. Lewry showed pictures of himself sky diving, scuba diving and firing weapons on the job, but he didn't talk about the pain he would endure to be one of the few to stand on the stage at the end of PJ training.
"It was very challenging, and I found out a lot about myself in those two years. The most important thing was to never quit, to never give up," he said. "There is no water holier than the sweat off a man's brow when he's trying his hardest to do what is right."
After filling positions such as a pararescue and special tactics team leader and Commandant of the Pararescue School, he served as the command chief of the 1st Special Operations Wing, at Hurlburt Field, Fla.
Colon-Lopez became a command chief after consulting with Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James Roy at an award ceremony. Roy explained that the Air Force needed more battlefield Airmen and diversity of thought among the command chief ranks.
"He said with regards to battlefield Airmen 'the issues we will be dealing with tomorrow are the issues that you experienced yesterday, and what you're fixing today,'" Colon-Lopez said. "On Day 3 at Hurlburt Field, I realized that my duty now as a command chief hadn't changed much from when I was a PJ. I show up for duty every day, and when an Airman of any rank is in trouble, I get to save a life."
"I again found a home and purpose," he added.
As the newest senior enlisted advisor to the 18th Wing, Colon-Lopez's mission is to continue to grow our replacements by making sure the best are recognized and that the mediocre get clear direction on how to be better.
"Our mission depends on it. We must take ownership of our piece of the Air Force. We do that by caring for our people. We, as a force, do not have time to get ready; we must always be ready," he said.
One of his priorities is to take care of Team Kadena.
"We have to take care of our families and our people," Colon-Lopez said. "My door is always open. (I like to) keep the lines of communication open. If there is an issue, please feel free to come to me and tell me what is on your mind. Be candid and straightforward when bringing up issues. We must also make sure that while our warriors are away, their families are taken care of."
The chief stressed to supervisors the importance of frequent face-to-face feedback. He added that supervisors should not tolerate sub-par performance, because "you deserve what you tolerate."
"As we continue to grow our Airmen and are deliberate about it, we're setting up the Air Force for success," the chief said. "The more involved we get with our people, the more opportunities we give them to be successful. That is how we create our replacements."
Leadership is not only about leading by example but also about showing compassion.
"Living the hard life operationally taught me a lot about (how to deal with) the issues that can come up in life and duty," he said. "But pararescue also taught me compassion. And now, as a command chief, I am given far more opportunities to help others and bring compassion to the ranks. I do it based on my own experiences in many tough situations."
The 22-year Air Force veteran also looks forward to exploring the island's unique culture by leaving the comfort of Kadena and venturing into our Japanese neighbor's countryside. After all, he said he is used to being "outside the wire."
He and his wife, Janet, "are really looking forward to learning more about the culture," he said, "and getting out and sharing things with (our Japanese counterparts)."
He also wants to see what the people on base enjoy doing.
"I'm very much an outdoorsman. I dive, climb, surf and mountain bike; so, I'm curious to see what kind of things are out there and, if any Airmen share the same interest, I'd be more than happy to spend time with them," Colon-Lopez explained.
The chief said he's excited to meet more of Team Kadena.
"If Janet and I are walking around the base (or in town), approach us and tell us about yourself," he said. "The more we know about the people, the more we feel like we're a part of the team. We are here to remove the obstacles in people's way and to make sure our installation is living up to its reputation; all with 'courage, aggressiveness and confidence.'" |
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