Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...

Emilio Díaz Colón (born c. 1947), is a former

United States National Guard The National Guard is a state-based military force that becomes part of the reserve components of the United States Army and the United States Air Force when activated for federal missions.Adjutant General of the Puerto Rican National Guard. In 2011, he became the first member of the PRNG to be named superintendent of the

Puerto Rico Police Department The Puerto Rico Police Department ( es, Policía de Puerto Rico), officially the Puerto Rico Police Bureau, is a law enforcement agency with jurisdiction over the entire Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. It is a division of the Puerto Rico Department ...

Early years

Díaz Colón is the oldest of three siblings born to Emilio Díaz Lebron and Margarita Colón in the town of

Yabucoa, Puerto Rico Yabucoa () is a town and municipality in Puerto Rico located in the eastern region, north of Maunabo; south of San Lorenzo, Las Piedras and Humacao; and east of Patillas. Yabucoa is spread over 9 barrios and Yabucoa Pueblo (the downtown area a ...

. His father was the head foreman of the Central Roig sugar cane plantation. The Central Roig was one of the last mills that produced sugar in Puerto Rico. Díaz Colón was raised in his hometown where he received his primary and secondary education. Díaz Colón's brother, Luis F. "Pickie" Díaz Colón, a former head of the National Parks Company, was once the mayor of their hometown Yabucoa. In 1968, Díaz Colón joined the

Puerto Rico Army National Guard The Puerto Rico Army National Guard (PRARNG) — officially designated in Spanish as ''Guardia Nacional Terrestre de Puerto Rico'', but colloquially known as ''Ejército de la Guardia Nacional de Puerto Rico'' — is the Army National Guard of the ...

(PRARNG) as an enlisted soldier in an engineer company, while at the same time he was enrolled and attended classes at the

University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez The University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus (UPRM) or Recinto Universitario de Mayagüez (RUM) in Spanish (also referred to as Colegio and CAAM in allusion to its former name), is a public land-grant university in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. UPRM ...

. In 1971, Díaz Colón earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in

Civil Engineering Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including public works such as roads, bridges, canals, dams, airports, sewa ...

Military career

Díaz Colón was selected to attend the warrant officer program at the United States Army Warrant Officer Career College in

Fort Rucker, Alabama Fort Rucker is a U.S. Army post located primarily in Dale County, Alabama, United States. It was named for a Civil War officer, Confederate General Edmund Rucker. The post is the primary flight training installation for U.S. Army Aviators and ...

. Upon his graduation on February 4, 1975, he was promoted to the rank of Warrant Officer One (WO1). He was then assigned to the HHC 130th Engineer Battalion at

Vega Baja, Puerto Rico Vega Baja (, ) is a Vega Baja barrio-pueblo, town and Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality located on the coast of north central Puerto Rico. It is north of Morovis, Puerto Rico, Morovis, east of Manatí, Puerto Rico, Manatí, and west of ...

where he served as Utilities Maintenance Technician. On August 3, 1976, he was promoted to the rank of first lieutenant and assigned as engineering officer for the same Battalion. From January 1977 to August 1979, Díaz Colón served with Company D 130th Engineer Battalion at

Carolina, Puerto Rico Carolina (; ) is a city and municipality located on the northeast coast of Puerto Rico. It lies immediately east of the capital San Juan and Trujillo Alto; north of Gurabo and Juncos; and west of Canóvanas and Loíza. Carolina is spread over ...

in the positions of Engineer Platoon Leader and Company Executive Officer. After his promotion to the rank of captain he was named company commander. In August 1979, he was reassigned to the 892d Engineer Company at

Humacao, Puerto Rico Humacao () is a city and municipality in Puerto Rico located in the eastern coast of the island, north of Yabucoa; south of Naguabo; east of Las Piedras; and west of Vieques Passage. Humacao is spread over 12 barrios and Humacao Pueblo (the ...

as company commander and in September 1979, he was the Assistant S-3 of the Command and Control at PRNG Headquarters in

San Juan, Puerto Rico San Juan (, , ; Spanish for "Saint John") is the capital city and most populous municipality in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2020 census, it is the 57th-largest city under the juri ...

. He served there until October 1979, when he returned to the 130th Engineer Battalion as battalion executive officer. * Feb 75 - Aug 76, Utilities Maintenance Technician, HHC 130th Engineer Battalion, Vega Baja, Puerto Rico * Aug 76 - Jan 77, Engineering Officer, HHC 130th Engineer Battalion, Vega Baja, Puerto Rico * Jan 77 - May 77, Engineer Platoon Leader, Company D 130th Engineer Battalion, Carolina, Puerto Rico * May 77 - Nov 77, Company Executive Officer, Company D, 130th Engineer Battalion, Carolina, Puerto Rico * Nov 77 - Aug 79, Company Commander, Company D 130th Engineer Battalion, Carolina, Puerto Rico * Aug 79 - Sep 79, Company Commander, 892d Engineer Company, Humacao, Puerto Rico * Sep 79 - Oct 79, Assistant S-3, Command and Control, Headquarters, San Juan, Puerto Rico * Oct 79 - Feb 83, Battalion Executive Officer, 130th Engineer Battalion, Vega Baja, Puerto Rico * Feb 83 - Aug 85, Battalion Commander, 130th Engineer Battalion, Vega Baja, Puerto Rico * Aug 85 - Jun 87, S-4, 101st Troop Command, Headquarters, State Area Command, San Juan, Puerto Rico * Jun 87 - Feb 88, S-3, 101st Troop Command, Headquarters, State Area Command, San Juan, Puerto Rico * Mar 88 - Jun 92, Executive Officer, 101st Troop Command, Headquarters State Area Command, San Juan, Puerto Rico * Jul 92 - Dec 92, USAR - Not Active Duty Control Group (Individual Ready Reserve) * Dec 92 - Jan 93, Deputy Chief of Staff, Headquarters State Area Command, San Juan, Puerto Rico * Jan 93 - Jan 01, The Adjutant General, Puerto Rico National Guard, Headquarters State Area Command, San Juan, Puerto Rico

Government positions

In 1978, the governor of Puerto Rico,

Carlos Romero Barcelo Carlos may refer to: Places ;Canada * Carlos, Alberta, a locality ;United States * Carlos, Indiana, an unincorporated community * Carlos, Maryland, a place in Allegany County * Carlos, Minnesota, a small city * Carlos, West Virginia ;Elsewhe ...

appointed Díaz Colón to the position of executive director of the Authority of Solid Wastes in Puerto Rico. He served in this position until 1981. In that year, he was named director of the Commissioners Office of Municipal Matters. He served in this position until 1985, all the while in 1982, he was promoted to the rank of major and in 1983, he attended the

United States Army Command and General Staff College The United States Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC or, obsolete, USACGSC) at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, is a graduate school for United States Army and sister service officers, interagency representatives, and international military ...

Fort Leavenworth Fort Leavenworth () is a United States Army installation located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, in the city of Leavenworth. Built in 1827, it is the second oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C., and the oldest perma ...

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to th ...

. During the years that he served in the Commissioners Office, the Puerto Rico National Guard named Díaz Colón Battalion Commander of the 130th Engineer Battalion. From 1985 to 1990, Díaz-Colón was given a Federal position when he was placed in charge of the Housing Urban Development (HUD) in the Caribbean.

Adjutant General, Puerto Rico National Guard

From August 1985 to June 1992, Díaz Colón served with the 101st Troop Command at Headquarters, State Area Command, San Juan, Puerto Rico. On July 24, 1987, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel and during the years in which he served at headquarters, he served in various positions, including that of executive officer. On July 23, 1992, Díaz Colón was promoted to the rank of colonel in the Regular Army and on December 22, of the same year he was promoted to the rank of brigadier general. In January 1993, he was named the adjutant general of the Puerto Rico National Guard. As adjutant general, he was the governor's senior military adviser and oversaw both state and federal missions of the Puerto Rico National Guard. He also provided effective leadership and management in the implementation of all programs and policies affecting more than 11,100 Puerto Rico National Guard citizens-soldiers. Díaz Colón was promoted to major general (line) on November 18, 1993, and continued as adjustant general until he retired from the Puerto Rico Army National Guard in 2001.

Superintendent of the Police of Puerto Rico

In July 2011,

Luis Fortuño Luis Guillermo Fortuño Burset (born 31 October 1960) is a Puerto Rican politician who served as the governor of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States, from 2009 to 2013. Fortuño served as the first secretary of econom ...

, the governor of Puerto Rico, named Díaz Colón for the position of superintendent of the

. He thus became the first person who was a former adjutant general of the Puerto Rico National Guard to be named to that position.Noticentro
/ref>Puerto Rico chooses soldier for next police chief
/ref> Díaz Colón entered the Police Department in the middle of a record-breaking year in murders in Puerto Rico, and has received harsh criticisms ever since from various sectors. On March 28, 2012, after only 9 months on the job, Díaz Colón resigned as superintendent.

Military decorations and awards

Among Major General Díaz Colón's military decorations and awards are the following: * Meritorious Service Medal ribbon

Meritorious Service Medal A Meritorious Service Medal is an award presented to denote acts of meritorious service, and sometimes gallantry, that are worthy of recognition. Notable medals with similar names include: * Meritorious Civilian Service Award *Meritorious Service Me ...

Army Commendation Medal The Commendation Medal is a mid-level United States military decoration presented for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service. Each branch of the United States Armed Forces issues its own version of the Commendation Medal, with a fifth ...

(with one bronze

oak leaf cluster An oak leaf cluster is a ribbon device to denote preceding decorations and awards consisting of a miniature bronze or silver twig of four oak leaves with three acorns on the stem. It is authorized by the United States Armed Forces for a speci ...

) *

Army Achievement Medal The Achievement Medal is a military decoration of the United States Armed Forces. The Achievement Medal was first proposed as a means to recognize outstanding achievement or meritorious service of military personnel who were not eligible to recei ...

Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal A Reserve Good Conduct Medal refers to any one of the five military conduct awards, four of which are currently issued and one of which was previously issued, by the United States Armed Forces to members of the Reserve and National Guard. The pri ...

National Defense Service Medal The National Defense Service Medal (NDSM) is a service award of the United States Armed Forces established by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1953. It is awarded to every member of the US Armed Forces who has served during any one of four ...

Humanitarian Service Medal The Humanitarian Service Medal (HSM) is a military service medal of the United States Armed Forces which was created on January 19, 1977 by President Gerald Ford under . The medal may be awarded to members of the United States military (includ ...

Armed Forces Reserve Medal The Armed Forces Reserve Medal (AFRM) is a service medal of the United States Armed Forces that has existed since 1950. The medal recognizes service performed by members of the reserve components and is awarded to both officers and enlisted per ...

(with Gold Hourglass Device) *

Army Service Ribbon The Army Service Ribbon (ASR) is a military award of the United States Army that was established by the Secretary of the Army on 10 April 1981 as announced in Department of the Army General Order 15, dated 10 October 1990. History Effective 1 A ...

Puerto Rico National Guard decorations * Commendation Medal1