Colonel Richard Lopez
Colonel Richard Lopez is the Senior Materiel Leader for Kessel Run, Department of the Air Force Program Executive Office for Command, Control, Communications and Battle Management (DAF PEO C3BM), Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass. His division is modernizing the worldwide Air Operations Center enterprise, Targeting and Geospatial Intelligence systems, and a range of unit-level systems for maintenance, command and control, and intelligence. His division also maintains the All Domain Common Platform, where the Kessel Run-developed applications and services reside.
Col. Lopez received his commission through the Reserve Officer Training Corps and entered the Air Force as a Developmental Engineer in 2000. He has served in a variety of engineering and program management positions and was selected for career broadening as an Intelligence Officer leading ISR Collection Planning and Targeteering teams and as a Political-Military Affairs Strategist supporting international relations with the United Kingdom.
Prior to his position at Kessel Run, Col Lopez was a student at the United States Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. Col. Lopez holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Mechanical Engineering.
Colonel Lopez is a top distinguished graduate of the U.S. Air Force Intelligence Officer Course and the recipient of the 2020 Defense Acquisition Workforce Software Innovation Team Award and the 2020 David Packard Excellence in Acquisition Team Award.
EDUCATION
1998 Bachelor of Science, Mechanical Engineering, Florida International University, Miami, FL 2000 Master of Science, Mechanical Engineering, Florida International University, Miami, FL 2004 Top Distinguished Graduate, U.S. Air Force Intelligence Officer School, Goodfellow AFB, TX
2012 Master of Military Operational Art and Science, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, AL 2015 Air War College, Correspondence, Maxwell AFB, AL
2022 Master of Arts, National Security and Strategic Studies, Naval War College, Naval Station Newport, RI
ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 2000 – January 2004, Advanced Weapon Integration Engineer, Air Force Research Laboratory, Munitions Directorate, Eglin AFB, FL
2. February 2004 – November 2004, Student, Air Force Intelligence Officer School, Goodfellow AFB, TX
3. November 2004 – November 2007, Collection Manager; Chief, ISR Operations Cell; and Chief, C4I Target Set, ISR Division, 613th Air Operations Center, Hickam AFB, HI (September 2006 – January 2007, Chief, Processing, Exploitation, and Dissemination Cell, Combined Air Operations Center, Al Udied Air Base, Quatar)
4. November 2007 – August 2011, Program Manager & Lead Engineer, AWACS Mission Crew Simulator; Chair, Source Selection Evaluation Team; Deputy Chief, Program Execution Group; Branch Chief, Advanced SIGINT Technology Branch, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH
(May 2010 – November 2010, Lead Assessor, Joint Combat Assessment Team, U.S. Army 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan)
5. August 2011 – July 2012, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, AL
6. July 2012 – June 2015, Chief, International Agreements and Executive Officer to the Director, United States Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa - United Kingdom, Royal Air Force Mildenhall, United Kingdom
7. August 2015 – May 2015, Deputy Chief, Regional Support Division, Air Force Security Assistance and Cooperation Directorate, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH
8. May 2015 – August 2017, Chief, F-15 Combat Sensors Branch, F-15 Division, Fighters and Bombers Directorate, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH
9. August 2017 – July 2020, Materiel Leader, Unified Platform Program and Director of the LevelUP Code Works software factory, C3&I Directorate, Joint Base San Antonio, TX
10.July 2020 – July 2021, Deputy Chief, C2 Division, Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisitions, Information Dominance Programs, The Pentagon
11.July 2021 – June 2022, Student, United States Naval War College, Naval Station Newport, RI.
12.June-2022 – Present, Senior Materiel Leader, Kessel Run, Hanscom AFB, MA.
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal with five oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Col. Lopez received his commission through the Reserve Officer Training Corps and entered the Air Force as a Developmental Engineer in 2000. He has served in a variety of engineering and program management positions and was selected for career broadening as an Intelligence Officer leading ISR Collection Planning and Targeteering teams and as a Political-Military Affairs Strategist supporting international relations with the United Kingdom.
Prior to his position at Kessel Run, Col Lopez was a student at the United States Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. Col. Lopez holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Mechanical Engineering.
Colonel Lopez is a top distinguished graduate of the U.S. Air Force Intelligence Officer Course and the recipient of the 2020 Defense Acquisition Workforce Software Innovation Team Award and the 2020 David Packard Excellence in Acquisition Team Award.
EDUCATION
1998 Bachelor of Science, Mechanical Engineering, Florida International University, Miami, FL 2000 Master of Science, Mechanical Engineering, Florida International University, Miami, FL 2004 Top Distinguished Graduate, U.S. Air Force Intelligence Officer School, Goodfellow AFB, TX
2012 Master of Military Operational Art and Science, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, AL 2015 Air War College, Correspondence, Maxwell AFB, AL
2022 Master of Arts, National Security and Strategic Studies, Naval War College, Naval Station Newport, RI
ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 2000 – January 2004, Advanced Weapon Integration Engineer, Air Force Research Laboratory, Munitions Directorate, Eglin AFB, FL
2. February 2004 – November 2004, Student, Air Force Intelligence Officer School, Goodfellow AFB, TX
3. November 2004 – November 2007, Collection Manager; Chief, ISR Operations Cell; and Chief, C4I Target Set, ISR Division, 613th Air Operations Center, Hickam AFB, HI (September 2006 – January 2007, Chief, Processing, Exploitation, and Dissemination Cell, Combined Air Operations Center, Al Udied Air Base, Quatar)
4. November 2007 – August 2011, Program Manager & Lead Engineer, AWACS Mission Crew Simulator; Chair, Source Selection Evaluation Team; Deputy Chief, Program Execution Group; Branch Chief, Advanced SIGINT Technology Branch, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH
(May 2010 – November 2010, Lead Assessor, Joint Combat Assessment Team, U.S. Army 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan)
5. August 2011 – July 2012, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, AL
6. July 2012 – June 2015, Chief, International Agreements and Executive Officer to the Director, United States Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa - United Kingdom, Royal Air Force Mildenhall, United Kingdom
7. August 2015 – May 2015, Deputy Chief, Regional Support Division, Air Force Security Assistance and Cooperation Directorate, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH
8. May 2015 – August 2017, Chief, F-15 Combat Sensors Branch, F-15 Division, Fighters and Bombers Directorate, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH
9. August 2017 – July 2020, Materiel Leader, Unified Platform Program and Director of the LevelUP Code Works software factory, C3&I Directorate, Joint Base San Antonio, TX
10.July 2020 – July 2021, Deputy Chief, C2 Division, Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisitions, Information Dominance Programs, The Pentagon
11.July 2021 – June 2022, Student, United States Naval War College, Naval Station Newport, RI.
12.June-2022 – Present, Senior Materiel Leader, Kessel Run, Hanscom AFB, MA.
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal with five oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster
