Ramon Colon-Lopez

Ramón Colón-López is a United States veteran who served in the Air Force for 33 years. In December 2019, he became the fourth Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman (SEAC) of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the most senior enlisted service member in the U.S. Armed Forces. 

Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Colon-Lopez moved to the United States in 1986.  After graduating high school, he attended Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut seeking a degree in Biology. During his first year in college, he made the decision to enlist in the United States Air Force to secure his independence and to gain more discipline and structure in his life.  His military trajectory led him to the Special Operations arena, where he successfully completed some of the most rigorous training the Department of Defense has to offer including the U.S. Air Force’s Pararescue pipeline, Navy SEAL and Army Special Forces courses, and other joint special operations training.

 Colon-Lopez was a Special Operations Pararescueman for two decades in combat, with a decade long experience in the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) as a Special Tactics Team Leader, Advanced Force Operations Team Leader, and as the 24th Special Tactics Squadron and 724th Special Tactics Group Senior Enlisted Advisor, working alongside the Delta Force and SEAL Team 6 during dozens of raids and missions. After his special operations career, he went on to lead at the strategic level in several organizations in the United States, Japan, Qatar, Germany, Africa and other locations across the globe. Throughout his military career, he interacted with leaders from 89 countries, building alliances and partnerships to enhance global security.  

Serving as the SEAC, alongside General Mark A. Milley, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, they led the Department of Defense during one of the most difficult times in our nation’s recent history.  From the COVID-19 pandemic, to civil unrest in the United States, the withdrawal of Afghanistan, and the invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces, this team advised three Secretaries of Defense and two Presidents of the United States. They also made critical decisions concerning budgetary, modernization, and recruiting challenges.

 As the SEAC, Colon-Lopez became the first enlisted member of the United States Armed Forces to be awarded the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the nation’s highest non-combat award, for outstanding contributions to national security in a position of great responsibility. He has earned a total of 58 medals, including the Defense Superior Service Medal with one bronze oak leaf cluster, Legion of Merit, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, along with numerous other awards, medals, badges and honors. During his combat time, he earned two Bronze Star Medals for Valor, and was the Air Force’s first-ever recipient of the Combat Action Medal.

Highlighting an illustrious military career, he was honored in his hometown of Guánica, Puerto Rico with a namesake road, “Carretera SEAC Ramon Colon Lopez” on HWY 1116. He was also the 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. Additionally, he was inducted into the Puerto Rico Veteran’s Hall of fame and his combat story is displayed at the United States Air Force Museum in Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio and at the Enlisted Heritage Hall in Montgomery, Alabama.

 Colon-Lopez currently serves on the Military Board of Advisors for First Command Financial Services, and as an independent strategic consultant for several multimillion-dollar firms. In addition, he is a member of the Board of Directors for the Robert Irvine Foundation and volunteers for veteran support and non-profit organizations. 

In addition to several military courses, SEAC Colón-López’s education includes a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Maryland, a National Preparedness Leadership Initiative fellowship at Harvard University, and many other leadership courses at the University of North Carolina, Alan Freed and Associates, the Center for Creative Leadership, etc.  

He lives with his wife Janet and their two rescue dogs, Mabel and Zephyr, in North Carolina and enjoys mountaineering, rock and ice climbing, mountain biking, and writing in his spare time.