POPE ARMY AIRFIELD, N.C. -- On March 27, 2026, retired Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (SEAC) Ramón "CZ" Colón-López visited Pope Army Airfield to talk about his time as SEAC and share the lessons he learned. The SEAC is the highest enlisted position in the United States Armed Services. This role is the principal adviser to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on enlisted matters.
Colón-López is the only Airman to serve as SEAC. He was SEAC from Dec. 13, 2019, to Nov. 3, 2023. He helped advise the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff through Covid-19. He contributed to shaping policy with the Office of the Secretary of Defense during his service.
“As a retired SEAC, I have a generational commitment to keep giving back to the institution that made me who I am, and it is unwritten, but it is always a purpose of any former Senior Enlisted Advisor, whether it's Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force or the SEAC, to continue to do so, and a lot of it has to do with setting up the next generation for success,” said Colón-López.
Colón-López shared what he learned during his Air Force career and his time as SEAC. Airmen were welcomed to ask any questions they had. Colón-López shared how he got to the position of SEAC, how he changed his Air Force Specialty Code to pararescue and provided advice on leadership.
“I resonated with a lot of things that he spoke to us about. One thing that I think I could put my finger on, is the part about when you're invited to do something that's not in line with your calendar, that you don't shy away from it,” said Chief Master Sgt. Tomio P. Brown, Sr., 43rd Air Mobility Operations Group command chief. “You just go all in. You may not be the best at whatever you're being asked to do, but I think that it’s also important for people to see that you sometimes fail, you sometimes fall and it's okay.”
There are many ways to become a senior leader in the Air Force. Colón-López shared with members on Pope Army Airfield the way he became a senior leader. Many who attended are already senior leaders or are on the road to becoming senior leaders in the Air Force. Learning something new about leadership is something all attendees have in common. Members of Pope will take what they learned back to work and improve themselves and those around them through knowledge shared.