José M . Portela Brigadier General José M . Portela ( Ret . ) , ( born June 16 , 1949 ) , is a retired officer of the United States Air Force who recently retired from the position of Assistant Adjutant General for Air , which he held while also serving as commander of the Puerto Rico Air National Guard . In 1972 , Portela became the youngest C - 141 Starlifter aircraft commander and captain at age 22 . Portela is also the only reservist ever to serve as director of mobility forces for Bosnia . He is also the first native of Puerto Rico to hold the rank of Brigadier General in the United States Air Force Reserve . Early years . Portela was born on June 16 , 1949 and raised in San Juan , Puerto Rico , where he received his primary and secondary education . He enrolled in the University of Puerto Rico after he graduated from high school and earned a Bachelor of arts degree in business administration in 1969 at the age of 19 . Military career . Portela joined the United States Air Force Reserves and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant through the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps while still 19 years of age . In June 1969 he received his undergraduate pilot training at Webb Air Force Base in Texas and earned his pilot wings in June 1970 . Promoted to First Lieutenant , he was assigned to the 41st Military Airlift Squadron at Charleston AFB , S . C . and flew C - 141A Starlifter during which time he became the youngest C - 141A Aircraft Commander at age 22 . On June 8 , 1972 , he was promoted to Captain and on September 1972 , served with the 3rd Military Airlift Squadron which briefly operated the new Lockheed C - 5A Galaxy at Charleston Air Force Base , South Carolina . B . General Portela served at CAFB , S . C . until July 1973 , when he joined the Air Force Reserves as a C - 5A Initial Cadre pilot with the 312th Airlift Squadron at Travis Air Force Base , California . He served in a variety of flying , command and staff positions from November 1982 to November 1984 , during which time he was promoted to the rank of Major ( June 8 , 1983 ) and served as a C - 5 flight examiner , 326th Military Airlift Squadron at Dover Air Force Base in Dover , Delaware . In 1984 , Portela took the Marine Command and Staff War Course and was reassigned to the 433RD Airlift Wing at Kelly Air Force Base , Texas where he served as a C - 5 standardization / evaluation chief and airlift control flight commander until June 1992 , he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel on June 17 , 1987 . During this timeframe he completed the National Security Management Course at the National Defense University . From June 1992 to August 1995 , Portela served in the following positions at Headquarters : United States Air Force in the Pentagon in Washington , D . C . p ; Individual mobilization augmentee , VJ3 , United States Southern Command and Latin American affairs political / military officer ( XOXXW ) ( June 1992 - October 1992 ) ; Individual mobilization augmentee , VJ3 , United States Southern Command and plans and issues officer ( XOXX ) ( October 1992 - June 1993 ) and Individual mobilization augmentee to the chief , Mobility Forces Division ( XOFM ) ( June 1993 - August 1995 ) . He was promoted to Colonel on July 1 , 1992 . During this time frame , Portela attended the following courses : Joint Warfare Operations Course ( 1993 ) and National Security and Decision Making , Strategy and Policy Courses ( 1995 ) at the Naval War College and the Reserve Components National Security Course ( 1994 ) at the National War College . From August 1995 to July 2004 , Portela served in the following positions : vice commander and inspector general , 512th Airlift Wing , Dover Air Force Base ( 1995 – 1998 ) ; vice commander , 22nd Air Force , ( 1998 – 2000 ) , during which he was promoted to Brigadier General ( June 30 , 1999 ) and as mobilization assistant to the vice commander ( 2000 – 2003 ) at Dobbins Air Reserve Base , Georgia . He served as mobilization assistant to the undersecretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve Affairs , at the Pentagon at Washington , DC . from January 2003 to July 2004 before being assigned Assistant Adjutant General for Air also serving as Commander of the Puerto Rico Air National Guard , San Juan , P . R . , position in which he served from January 11 , 2005 to November 7 , 2006 . As Command Pilot , Portela has flown the following military aircraft : T - 37 , T - 38 , C - 141 and C - 5 , plus he has more than 5 , 000 flight hours to his credit . Besides the Vietnam War , he also participated in the following military operations : The Persian Gulf War , Operation Just Cause in Panama and Operation Desert Shield / Storm and has been the only reservist ever to serve as director of mobility forces for Bosnia . Civilian occupation . Portela has flown Douglas DC - 8 s , Boeing 747 , 737 and 727s , Airbus A319 , A320 , A321 and A330 s , and Fokker F100 s . He is an Airbus 330 check captain for U . S . Airways with over 25 , 000 hours . Portela , who has also served as a safety and glass cockpit expert for the Airline Pilots Association , is the recipient of the Airline Pilots Association ( ALPA ) Superior Airmanship Plaque , given for " demonstrating extraordinary flying skills and professionalism in the face of adversity , for safely recovering an aircraft with severe flight control problems , exemplifying the best of what a pilot can offer to those who have placed their lives in his hands . " Portela , who is also a chapter founder of League of United Latin American Citizens and co - chairman of the Defense Advisory Council on Hispanic Issues , has also been Honored by the Senate of Puerto Rico for his " Outstanding Achievements " . Portela , currently resides in Dallas , Texas with his family . Military decorations and awards . Among Brigadier General Portela ' s many military decorations are the following :