Rafael Colon Hernandez

Rafael served in the Army for 32 years and recently retired as a Command Sergeant Major. During his time in service he deployed a total of 4 times, going back and forth between Iraq and Afghanistan. He began his journey in the military while living in Puerto Rico and a junior in high school. Due to some struggles at home he was given the ultimatum to either join or leave the house, so he decided to pursue his love of the military. It wasn’t always a smooth journey, with a few obstacles crossing his way, which he overcame and led him to positions of leadership and increased responsibility. While overcoming these obstacles, he went on to volunteer in several communities and earn his bachelor’s and master’s degree. I met Rafael when he had already been active duty for 20 years and I have always loved seeing the respect his peers have for him and the way everyone sees him as a great mentor. I believe he is one of the best leaders the military had because you could always see the love and passion he had for his soldiers, our country, and the mission. If you ask anyone that he has ever served with or led, they will all say how great a leader he was, and how much they learned from him as a leader and friend. Beyond the uniform, soldiers still call him for mentorship, help, or just to talk, and he is an active part of the veteran community while being a present and loving husband and father.