Ten-hut! TI named outstanding airman

Published July 20, 2011

ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- Tech. Sgt. Richardo Chavez left home in El Paso, Texas, 10 ½ years ago and traveled some 560 miles to go to the Air Force's military basic training.

The military training instructor took another big step in his life July 13 when the Air Force announced that he is one of its 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year.

"Tech. Sgt. Chavez is a mature technical sergeant who sets his heels in the ground and does a great job mentoring junior military training instructors," said Chief Master Sgt. Julie Begley, 433rd Training Squadron superintendent. "He has a great personality and has worked very hard to get where he is today."

After completing basic training in early 2001, Chavez stayed at Lackland AFB, Texas, where he graduated from technical training as a security forces specialist. On the base, he patrolled the installation and served as the assistant NCO in charge of the armory and a member of the elite emergency services team. Chavez was later selected to perform duties as a joint drug enforcement team agent working undercover to combat the use of illegal narcotics in the Air Force.

In 2004, Chavez applied for and was accepted as a security forces academy instructor. He earned the Air Education and Training Command master instructor badge after completing 1,000 hours of instruction.

Three year later Chavez left the Regular Air Force, joined the Air Force Reserve and retrained to become a military training instructor.

In January 2008, he graduated from MTI school, where he was a distinguished graduate and recipient of the excellence in instruction award. After graduation, Chavez began augmenting the active-duty 737th Training Group at Lackland AFB and was later selected to help Air Force Reserve Command's 433rd TRS with the reactivation of the active-duty 321st TRS, a basic military training squadron.

Chavez currently serves fulltime on an Active Guard and Reserve tour of duty as the 737th Training Support Squadron unit training manager. The unit is the Air Force BMT's largest squadron with more than 150 people. Besides his MTI duties, Chavez is responsible for the overall management of the unit's training program. He conducts comprehensive trainee orientation and compliance documentation for newly assigned instructors.

"Everyone who works with Tech. Sgt. Chavez says 'wow,'" Begley said. "His active-duty supervisors also believe he deserves to be recognized for his hard work. He sets the example and does the right thing."