Ruben A. Cubero
Encyclopedia
Brigadier General
Ruben A. Cubero (born December 17, 1939) was a highly decorated member of the United States Air Force
who became the first Hispanic
graduate of the United States Air Force Academy
to be named Dean of the Faculty of the academy.
and many of the islanders moved to the northeastern coast of the United States
in search of jobs. Cubero's parents, who were from the towns of Isabela
and Camuy
, were among the many Puerto Ricans who moved to New York City
seeking a better life. Cubero's parents settled down in the Bronx borough of the city where he was born. Cubero went to school in the city's public school system receiving his primary education at P.S. (public school) 76. His family moved to Queens, New York when he was a teenager and he continued his education at Xavier High School a Jesuit institution in Manhattan. He was a Lieutenant Colonel
in the Jr ROTC
unit and was an All-City guard on the football team despite his light weight. Cubero graduated from high school in 1957.
in 1957 and was accepted into the Air Force Academy. During his time at the Academy he was a starting guard on the football team and won many honors. He was the lightest starting lineman in major college football at the time. On June 7, 1961, Cubero graduated from the third graduating class of the Academy with a Bachelor of Science degree and a commission as a Second Lieutenant.
From August 1961 to February 1963, he served as a pilot trainee in both the 3526th Student Squadron, Williams Air Force Base
in Arizona
and Tinker Air Force Base
, Oklahoma
. He was promoted to the rank of First Lieutenant on December 7, 1962. After he earned his pilot wings, Cubero was assigned to McGuire Air Force Base
in New Jersey
on February 1963. There he flew the C-118 and the C-135. On December 7, 1965, he was promoted to the rank of Captain and on June 1966 he was reassigned to the 76th Military Airlift Squadron, Charleston Air Force Base
, South Carolina
, where he piloted a C-141.
Cubero was sent to the Republic of Vietnam
on May 1969 and was assigned to the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, 19th Tactical Air Support Squadron, Tay Ninh West where he flew a OV-10 and served as a forward air controller. On November 1969, he was reassigned to the 19th Tactical Air Support Squadron, at Bien Hoa Air Base.
. He was promoted to major
on November 1, 1971 and in 1972, he earned his Master's degree in Latin American studies. After he graduated, he was named Chairman of Spanish, Department of Foreign Languages of the U.S. Air Force Academy, a position in which he served until January 1975.
From December 1975 to February 1978, Cubero served as instructor, Director of Joint Operations at the School of the Americas and later as senior Air Force representative at Fort Gulick
in Panama
. During his stay in Panama, Cubero took the Army Command and General Staff Course. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel on August 1, 1977. Cubero was named faculty instructor at Air University in Maxwell Air Force Base
in Alabama
in 1978. After four months, he returned to the Air Force Academy as acting department head, Department of Foreign Languages. On January 1980, he became a Professor and the acting department head of the Department of Foreign Languages.
On June 1981, Cubero pursued his doctoral degree in higher education and administration at the University of Denver
in Colorado
. On January 1, 1982, Cubero was promoted to the rank of Colonel
and in 1983 he obtained his doctorate.
From December 1982 to July 1991, Cubero served in various positions at the Air Force Academy. Among these were Assistant to the Dean of the Faculty, Professor and Head, Department of Foreign Languages and permanent Professor and Head, Department of Foreign Languages.
On July 1991, Cubero was named Dean of the Faculty, becoming the first person of Hispanic heritage in that position. As Dean of the Faculty, Cubero commanded the 865-member dean of the faculty mission element and oversaw the annual design and instruction of more than 500 undergraduate courses to 4,000 cadets in 19 academic departments. He led and supervised four support staff agencies and directed the operation of faculty resources involving more than $250 million. Cubero established the Air Force Academy's first Cooperative Research and Development Agreement. On August 3, 1991, Cubero was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General. Cubero retired from the Air Force on July 1, 1998. He had more than 6,000 flight hours.
with his wife of 45 years, Janet Cubero. The Cuberos participate in and make donations to many charities. Among them, The Casa of the Pikes Peak Region whose goal is to ensure safety and permanency for children whose lives are in turmoil.
Badges:
Brigadier general (United States)
A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
Ruben A. Cubero (born December 17, 1939) was a highly decorated member of the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
who became the first Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
graduate of the United States Air Force Academy
United States Air Force Academy
The United States Air Force Academy is an accredited college for the undergraduate education of officer candidates for the United States Air Force. Its campus is located immediately north of Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, United States...
to be named Dean of the Faculty of the academy.
Early years
During the 1930s, Puerto Rico's economic situation suffered because of the Great DepressionGreat Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
and many of the islanders moved to the northeastern coast of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in search of jobs. Cubero's parents, who were from the towns of Isabela
Isabela, Puerto Rico
Isabela is a municipality of Puerto Rico located in the north-western region of the island, north of San Sebastián; west of Quebradillas; and east of Aguadilla and Moca. Isabela is spread over 13 wards and Isabela Pueblo...
and Camuy
Camuy, Puerto Rico
Camuy is a municipality in Puerto Rico located on the Valley of Quebradillas, bordering the Atlantic Ocean, north of Lares; east of Quebradillas; and west of Hatillo. Camuy is spread over 12 wards and Camuy Pueblo...
, were among the many Puerto Ricans who moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
seeking a better life. Cubero's parents settled down in the Bronx borough of the city where he was born. Cubero went to school in the city's public school system receiving his primary education at P.S. (public school) 76. His family moved to Queens, New York when he was a teenager and he continued his education at Xavier High School a Jesuit institution in Manhattan. He was a Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of commander in the other uniformed services.The pay...
in the Jr ROTC
Reserve Officers' Training Corps
The Reserve Officers' Training Corps is a college-based, officer commissioning program, predominantly in the United States. It is designed as a college elective that focuses on leadership development, problem solving, strategic planning, and professional ethics.The U.S...
unit and was an All-City guard on the football team despite his light weight. Cubero graduated from high school in 1957.
Military career
Cubero entered the United States Air ForceUnited States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
in 1957 and was accepted into the Air Force Academy. During his time at the Academy he was a starting guard on the football team and won many honors. He was the lightest starting lineman in major college football at the time. On June 7, 1961, Cubero graduated from the third graduating class of the Academy with a Bachelor of Science degree and a commission as a Second Lieutenant.
From August 1961 to February 1963, he served as a pilot trainee in both the 3526th Student Squadron, Williams Air Force Base
Williams Air Force Base
Williams Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base, located in Mesa, and about southeast of Phoenix, Arizona.It was active as a training base for both the United States Army Air Forces, as well as the USAF from 1941 until its closure in 1993...
in Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
and Tinker Air Force Base
Tinker Air Force Base
Tinker Air Force Base is a major U.S. Air Force base, with tenant U.S. Navy and other Department of Defense missions, located in the southeast Oklahoma City, Oklahoma area, directly south of the suburb of Midwest City, Oklahoma.-Overview:...
, Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
. He was promoted to the rank of First Lieutenant on December 7, 1962. After he earned his pilot wings, Cubero was assigned to McGuire Air Force Base
McGuire Air Force Base
JB MDL McGuire is a United States Air Force base located approximately south-southeast of Trenton, New Jersey. McGuire is under the jurisdiction of the USAF Air Mobility Command...
in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
on February 1963. There he flew the C-118 and the C-135. On December 7, 1965, he was promoted to the rank of Captain and on June 1966 he was reassigned to the 76th Military Airlift Squadron, Charleston Air Force Base
Charleston Air Force Base
Joint Base Charleston is a United States military facility located in North Charleston, South Carolina. The facility is under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Force 628th Air Base Wing, Air Mobility Command...
, South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, where he piloted a C-141.
Vietnam War
South Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
on May 1969 and was assigned to the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, 19th Tactical Air Support Squadron, Tay Ninh West where he flew a OV-10 and served as a forward air controller. On November 1969, he was reassigned to the 19th Tactical Air Support Squadron, at Bien Hoa Air Base.
Post Vietnam
In 1970, after serving in Vietnam, Cubero returned to the States and attended the University of New MexicoUniversity of New Mexico
The University of New Mexico at Albuquerque is a public research university located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the United States. It is the state's flagship research institution...
. He was promoted to major
Major (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel...
on November 1, 1971 and in 1972, he earned his Master's degree in Latin American studies. After he graduated, he was named Chairman of Spanish, Department of Foreign Languages of the U.S. Air Force Academy, a position in which he served until January 1975.
From December 1975 to February 1978, Cubero served as instructor, Director of Joint Operations at the School of the Americas and later as senior Air Force representative at Fort Gulick
Fort Gulick
Fort Gulick was a U.S. Army base in the former Panama Canal Zone located on the Atlantic side of the Panama Canal near Fort Davis, on Gatun Lake.-History:It was perhaps best known as the location of the School of the Americas...
in Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
. During his stay in Panama, Cubero took the Army Command and General Staff Course. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel on August 1, 1977. Cubero was named faculty instructor at Air University in Maxwell Air Force Base
Maxwell Air Force Base
Maxwell Air Force Base , officially known as Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base, is a United States Air Force installation under the Air Education and Training Command . The installation is located in Montgomery, Alabama, US. It was named in honor of Second Lieutenant William C...
in Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
in 1978. After four months, he returned to the Air Force Academy as acting department head, Department of Foreign Languages. On January 1980, he became a Professor and the acting department head of the Department of Foreign Languages.
On June 1981, Cubero pursued his doctoral degree in higher education and administration at the University of Denver
University of Denver
The University of Denver is currently ranked 82nd among all public and private "National Universities" by U.S. News & World Report in the 2012 rankings....
in Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
. On January 1, 1982, Cubero was promoted to the rank of Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
and in 1983 he obtained his doctorate.
From December 1982 to July 1991, Cubero served in various positions at the Air Force Academy. Among these were Assistant to the Dean of the Faculty, Professor and Head, Department of Foreign Languages and permanent Professor and Head, Department of Foreign Languages.
On July 1991, Cubero was named Dean of the Faculty, becoming the first person of Hispanic heritage in that position. As Dean of the Faculty, Cubero commanded the 865-member dean of the faculty mission element and oversaw the annual design and instruction of more than 500 undergraduate courses to 4,000 cadets in 19 academic departments. He led and supervised four support staff agencies and directed the operation of faculty resources involving more than $250 million. Cubero established the Air Force Academy's first Cooperative Research and Development Agreement. On August 3, 1991, Cubero was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General. Cubero retired from the Air Force on July 1, 1998. He had more than 6,000 flight hours.
Currently
Cubero is the President of the Falcon Foundation, an organization which awards scholarships to minority members to the Air Force Academy. Cubero currently resides in Colorado Springs, ColoradoColorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado...
with his wife of 45 years, Janet Cubero. The Cuberos participate in and make donations to many charities. Among them, The Casa of the Pikes Peak Region whose goal is to ensure safety and permanency for children whose lives are in turmoil.
Awards and recognitions
Among Brigadier General Ruben A. Cubero's decorations and medals were the following:
Legion of MeritLegion of MeritThe Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements...
Distinguished Flying CrossDistinguished Flying Cross (United States)The Distinguished Flying Cross is a medal awarded to any officer or enlisted member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes himself or herself in support of operations by "heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight, subsequent to November 11, 1918." The...
,
Meritorious Service MedalMeritorious Service Medal (United States)The Meritorious Service Medal is a military decoration presented to members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguished themselves by outstanding meritorious achievement or service to the United States subsequent to January 16, 1969...
with two oak leaf clusters,
Air MedalAir MedalThe Air Medal is a military decoration of the United States. The award was created in 1942, and is awarded for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight.-Criteria:...
with 13 oak leaf clusters,
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster,
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with oak leaf cluster,
National Defense Service MedalNational Defense Service MedalThe National Defense Service Medal is a military service medal of the United States military originally commissioned by President Dwight D. Eisenhower...
with bronze service star,
Armed Forces Expeditionary MedalArmed Forces Expeditionary MedalThe Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal is a military award of the United States military, which was first created in 1961 by Executive Order of President John Kennedy...
with bronze service star,
Vietnam Service MedalVietnam Service MedalThe Vietnam Service Medal is a military award which was created in 1965 by order of President Lyndon B. Johnson. The distinctive design was the creation of sculptor Thomas Hudson Jones, a former employee of the Army Institute of Heraldry. The medal is issued to recognize military service during...
with bronze service star
Vietnam Campaign MedalVietnam Campaign MedalThe Vietnam Campaign Medal is a military recognition awarded by the Republic of Vietnam, , to any member of the United States, Australian, New Zealand and allied military forces serving six months or more in support of Republic of Vietnam military operations.Established in 1966, the decoration is...
Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm Streamer
Badges:
Command pilot
Air Force Academy Professor BadgeAir Force Academy Professor BadgeThe Air Force Academy Professor Badge is a military decoration of the United States Air Force which was first created in the 1980s. The badge recognizes those 23 Air Force colonels who have been appointed by the Congress under US Code Title 10 as permanent professors and heads of academic...
See also
- List of Puerto Ricans
- List of Puerto Rican military personnel
- Hispanics in the United States Air ForceHispanics in the United States Air ForceHispanics in the United States Air Force can trace their tradition of service back to the United States Army Air Forces , the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, which was the predecessor of the United States Air Force which was formed as...