Ricardo Aponte
Ricardo Aponte | |
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![]() Brigadier General Ricardo Aponte | |
Nickname(s) | Rico |
Born | 1949 (age 74–75) San Juan, Puerto Rico |
Allegiance | ![]() |
Service/ | |
Years of service | 1972–2007 |
Rank | Air Force Commendation Medal (2) Combat Readiness Medal National Defense Service Medal (3) Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal Global War on Terrorism Service Medal Armed Forces Reserve Medal |
Brigadier General Ricardo "Rico" Aponte (born c. 1949) is a
Early years
Aponte was raised and educated in San Juan, the capital of Puerto Rico. After receiving his primary and secondary education, he enrolled in the University of Puerto Rico and joined the campus ROTC program. On December 29, 1972, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the United States Air Force.[1]
Assignments
Aponte was assigned to
Aponte became a
In May 1981, he returned to the United States and served as instructor pilot of the 0-2A aircraft, assigned to the 549th Tactical Air Support Training Squadron at
In June 1988, Aponte was reassigned to Cannon Air Force Base in New Mexico, where he served as aircraft commander F111-D, 523rd Tactical Fighter Squadron and from 1989 to December 1989 as chief, Quality Assurance of 27th Tactical Fighter Group.[2]
Air Force Reserve
In August 1990, Aponte joined the
In January 2001, he was assigned as a mobilization assistant to the deputy to the Chief Air Force Reserve. There he led transformation efforts and was a tiger team member in response to frequent mobilization and demobilization issues resulting from Operations
United States Southern Command
In April 2003, Aponte became the deputy director for operations, Headquarters United States Southern Command in Miami, Florida. Aponte was promoted to brigadier general on March 1, 2003. In October 2004, he was named director, J-7, of the United States Southern Command.
His directorate is the focal point for transformation initiatives, knowledge management, experimentation and gaming within the U. S. Southern Command. The directorate seeks out new concepts and rigorously tests them both in simulation and as part of operational experiments. The first transformation initiative was the startup of the Secretary of Defense mandated Standing Joint Force Headquarters (SJFHQ). The SJFHQ, consists of planning, operations, knowledge management, and information superiority experts who form the backbone of the Joint Task Force command structure in the event of contingency operations. Aponte retired July 1, 2007.
Awards and decorations
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Defense Superior Service Medal |
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Legion of Merit |
Meritorious Service Medal with three bronze oak leaf clusters | |
Air Force Commendation Medal with bronze oak leaf cluster | |
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Presidential Unit Citation |
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Joint Meritorious Unit Award |
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with three bronze oak leaf clusters
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Air Force Organizational Excellence Award
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Combat Readiness Medal |
National Defense Service Medal with two bronze service star | |
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Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal |
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Global War on Terrorism Service Medal |
Air Force Overseas Long Tour Service Ribbon with bronze oak leaf cluster | |
Air Force Longevity Service Award with silver and bronze oak leaf clusters
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Armed Forces Reserve Medal with silver hourglass device |
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Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon
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Air Force Training Ribbon
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Badges
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Command Air Force Pilot Badge |
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Headquarters Air Force Badge |
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US Southern Command badge
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See also
- List of Puerto Ricans
- List of Puerto Rican military personnel
- Hispanics in the United States Air Force
- University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez people
References
External links
- Brig. Gen. Ricardo Aponte[permanent dead link]
- CMAC 2005[permanent dead link]
- CSAR (Caribbean Search and Rescue) Conference - 2006
- "Aerospace World News" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2003. Retrieved August 18, 2013.