ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. --
“Our foundation is one of discipline, honor and standards … Airmen should not get in the habit of slacking and taking shortcuts.” — Chief Master Sgt. Ramon Colon-Lopez
Citizen Airmen,
The enlisted force is the backbone of the Air Force Reserve and comprises almost 80% of our force. The successful implementation of my task order depends upon every Airman, particularly junior enlisted Airmen, noncommissioned officers and senior noncommissioned officers.
To that end, it is critical that our command chief provides the necessary leadership to continue the advance of my strategic priorities of Ready Now! and Transforming for the Future.
On 1 May, Chief Master Sgt. Israel Nuñez replaced Chief Master Sgt. Timothy White as the new AFRC command chief. An aerial port “port dog” by trade, Chief Nuñez has a diverse professional background.
Since joining the Air Force in 2000, he has proven himself in the aerial port community, serving as a cargo processing specialist, passenger terminal shift supervisor, maintenance training manager, aerial port operations superintendent, programs and quality assurance flight superintendent, chief of plans and compliance, and squadron superintendent for the 69th Aerial Port Squadron at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland.
He then served as the command chief of the 459th Air Refueling Wing at Andrews and most recently as the command chief for Fourth Air Force, advising and mentoring the enlisted force for the strategic airlift community.
As the senior enlisted advisor, Chief Nuñez is my primary counselor regarding the welfare, morale, operational readiness and discipline of the enlisted force. He will ensure AFRC personnel are properly organized, trained and equipped, and ready to support national security requirements across the full spectrum of operations, from war to contingency situations.
Chief Nuñez and I both believe that our Airmen are our most important weapon system. His expertise and experience will ensure our enlisted force is comprised of technical and operational experts and well-rounded leaders across the Air Force Reserve.
Chief Nuñez leads the charge in developing the force for the future fight, a key component in achieving my strategic priorities. When he was assigned to AFRC’s Professional Development Center, he served as an instructor at the Chief Orientation Course where he taught and fostered the importance of force development. This knowledge will prove to be critical as he develops multi-capable Airmen who are Ready Now!
He is leading the force for knowledge on retention and dedicated to keeping our Airmen in the force. His initiatives will focus on building readiness and resiliency to support near-peer adversary warfighting, leading AFRC with mission-driven purpose, all while putting our Airmen first.
Chief Nuñez is an exceptional leader, a chief who can lead all of us by example. He has proven himself as a command chief on multiple occasions, and his experience makes him exceptionally prepared for his roles as AFRC command chief and senior enlisted advisor.
He understands the importance of teamwork and partnership between members, units and Total Force Airmen. His experience also enables us to be good partners with the Air Force enterprise and across the Joint Force. As a dual-military spouse, he understands the unique work-life balance requirements of our Citizen Airmen and their families.
I know that Command Chief Nuñez will continue to do amazing things for this organization, and I believe I can speak for all of us when I say, welcome to Headquarters Air Force Reserve Command, Chief! We look forward to working with you.