Emilio Díaz Colón

Major General Emilio Díaz Colón (born c. 1947), is a former United States National Guard officer who served as the 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.

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. 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.

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. 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 in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico 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 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 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. He served there until October 1979, when he returned to the 130th Engineer Battalion as battalion executive officer. He served in this position until 1985, all the while in 1982, he was promoted to the rank of major and in 1983, he graduated from the United States Army Command and General Staff College in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. 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 Army Commendation Medal with one bronze Oak leaf clusterArmy Achievement MedalArmy Reserve Components Achievement Medal with one bronze Oak leaf clusterNational Defense Service Medal Humanitarian Service Medal Armed Forces Reserve Medal with Gold hourglass deviceArmy Service RibbonPuerto Rico Commendation Medal with one bronze Oak leaf clusterPuerto Rico Service MedalPuerto Rico Exemplary Conduct RibbonPuerto Rico Civil Disturbance RibbonPuerto Rico Disaster Relief RibbonPuerto Rico Active Duty for Training Ribbon