New horizons for Tech. Sgt. Oliva

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Caelynn Ferguson
  • 17th Training Wing Public Affairs
GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  A military training leader reenlists and reads his orders to Moody Air Force Base, Georgia. In less than a month, he would tack on technical sergeant. His life is leading towards success yet his supervisor still urges tells him to put in a package for the senior enlisted leadership commissioning program. The MTL throws in his package not knowing that technical sergeant won’t be his only promotion for the upcoming year.

Through his hard work and dedication, Tech. Sgt. Andres Oliva, 17th Training Group military training leader, has earned the chance to commission through the approval of Air Education and Training Command.

“The senior enlisted leadership commissioning program is an opportunity that comes around every year,” said Oliva. “It gives major commands an opportunity to send one enlisted member directly to Officer Training School.”

Through his bachelor’s degree in organizational management, Oliva will be sent through OTS January 2017 before he becomes a full-fledged officer. But, to Oliva, that is not the only training that has prepared him to be an officer.

“As an officer I want to do the same thing I’ve done as a MTL … [to] think about your people and take care of the job every day,” said Oliva.
But Oliva’s world is about to switch to something quite different from MTLs; logistics readiness.

“I did get selected to go back as a 21R, logistics readiness officer,” said Oliva. “There are some things that I have to adjust. I’m used to being the subject matter expert. Now I will need to think of things strategically and trust that my people know how to do their job.“

“Oliva worked with me for over a year and this job is incredibly taxing,” said Senior Master Sgt. David Cheney, 17th Training Group superintendent of military training. “The man does 12 hours of work in an 8-hour time frame. It prepares him, the multitasking and being organized. He’s been requested by 2nd Air Force to teach other wings how to multitask as he does. [This job] gives him the tools to help him excel beyond his peers. As an officer he’ll have a steep learning curve, be challenged with multitasking and wing level projects and will be responsible for NCO’s, SNCO’s and Airmen.”

For those at Goodfellow, success can be achieved. Oliva says that there is nothing that can stop a service member from achieving their goals and that everything falls through action.