Col. Eric J. Rivero is the Commander of the 512th Airlift Wing, an Air Force Reserve Command associate wing located at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware. He is the senior officer responsible for the 1,800‐person organization, which supports AFRC’s and Air Mobility Command’s worldwide airlift mission, operating C‐5M Super Galaxy and C‐17 Globemaster III aircraft.
Colonel Rivero graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 2001. He has commanded at the squadron, group and wing levels, including the 905th Air Refueling Squadron, McConnell Air Reserve Station, Kansas, during its re‐activation as a KC‐46A Pegasus aircraft squadron in 2019. Colonel Rivero has served as an Instructor Pilot, Evaluator Pilot and Director of Operations. He has also held key assignments as the Chief of Safety and Executive Officer at the wing level.
Colonel Rivero is a command pilot with more than 4,500 hours, including over 180 combat and combat support sorties in support of operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, New Dawn, Inherent Resolve and Freedom’s Sentinel. He is a fully joint qualified officer who has served as the Chief of Aircraft Strike Support Division, Joint Nuclear Strike Planner, and as the Executive Officer to the Commander, Joint Functional Component Command for Global Strike, U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt AFB, Nebraska. Prior to his current position, the colonel was the Commander, 931st Operations Group, McConnell AFB, Kansas.
EDUCATION
2001 Bachelor of Science, Environmental Engineering, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
2008 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2010 Master of Science, International Relations, Troy University, Okinawa, Japan
2010 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2012 Joint Professional Military Education Phase II, Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.
2020 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2022 Mobility Commander Tactics Course, Rosecrans Memorial Airport, St. Joseph, Mo.
2023 Director of Mobility Forces Course, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
2023 Air Component Senior Leader Course, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 2001 – January 2002, Squadron Training Officer, 91st Air Refueling Squadron, MacDill Air Force Base, Fla.
2. February 2002 – February 2003, Student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Vance AFB, Okla.
3. July 2003 – August 2006, KC‐135R/T Instructor Pilot, Life Support Officer, Flight Scheduler, 91st ARS, MacDill AFB, Fla.
4. August 2006 – June 2009, KC‐135R/T Evaluator Pilot, Wing Executive Officer, Chief of Tanker Operations Group Standardizations and Evaluations, Squadron Standardization and Evaluation Pilot, 18th Wing, Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan
5. June 2009 – October 2011, Assistant Operations Officer, KC‐10 Formal Training Unit Instructor Aircraft
Commander, Flight Commander, 2nd ARS and 305th Operational Support Squadron, McGuire AFB, N.J.
6. November 2011 – April 2015, Executive Officer to the Commander, Chief of Aircraft Strike Support, Aircraft Strike Planner, U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt AFB, Neb.
7. August 2015 – February 2016, Assistant Operations Officer, 350th ARS, McConnell AFB, Kan.
8. February 2016 – May 2017, Operations Officer, 349th ARS, McConnell AFB, Kan.
9. May 2017 – February 2019, Chief of Wing Safety, 22nd Air Refueling Wing, McConnell AFB, Kan.
10. April 2019 – December 2021, Commander, 905th ARS, McConnell AFB, Kan.
11. December 2021 – May 2022, Deputy Commander, 931st Operations Group, McConnell AFB, Kan.
12. May 2022 – May 2024, Commander, 931st OG, McConnell AFB, Kan.
13. May 2024 – Present, Commander, 512th Airlift Wing, Dover AFB, Del.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
November 2011 – April 2014, Executive Officer, Joint Nuclear Strike Planner, Joint Functional Component Command, Global Strike, U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt AFB, Omaha, Neb.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight hours: More than 4,700
Aircraft flown: T‐37, T‐1, KC‐135R/T, KC‐10A, KC‐46A, C‐17
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal four oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with five oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal
Air Force Commendation Meal with two oak leaf clusters
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2009 Air Force Airlift Tanker Association Young Leader Award
2017 Spaatz Award for Best Air Refueling Squadron in the Air Force
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 30, 2001
First Lieutenant May 30, 2003
Captain May 30, 2005
Major March 1, 2011
Lieutenant Colonel May 1, 2016
Colonel July 1, 2022
(Current as of August 2024)