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ATLANTA - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution held its Reserve Component Achievement Awards ceremony, Feb. 21, at the 335th Signal Command (Theater) headquarters in East Point, Ga.
The annual award, conceived during the Vietnam era, served to support the morale of Georgia’s Guardsmen and Reservists during a time when the military was a very unpopular organization, said André Jackson, AJC Editorial Editor.
Sgt. Angel Olivo and Spc. Maricela Tapia-Rios, 324th Expeditionary Signal Battalion, Fort Gordon, Ga., are the Army Reserve Recipients of the 2012 Atlanta Journal-Constitution Noncommissioned Officer and Soldier Reserve Component Achievement Award, respectively.
“It feels good; makes me know that last year’s strength and sweat has paid off and was recognized by my superiors and others,” said Olivo, who served as Headquarters, Headquarters Company Operations NCO and Information Management Officer during his 2012 deployment to Kuwait and Afghanistan.
His father, retired Sgt. Maj. Angel Olivo Sr., who served 34 years in the Army, inspired Olivo to follow in his footsteps. “He’s everything that I want to be . . . he took care of the family… he’s still doing great.”
“The Army just took care of us as I grew up, so I want to provide that to my family,” added the younger Olivo, who is married with a four-year-old son.
Olivo’s short-term goals are to complete his bachelor’s degree, get accepted into the Active Guard Reserve Program and become a signal warrant officer. His long-term goals are to retire from a successful military career and be the best father and husband he can be.
Tapia-Rios joined the military to build a different life from the one she had in Anaheim, Calif., and to see the world, which she did as an Army logistician with the 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas. Tapia-Rios completed two tours in Baghdad, Iraq from 2006 to 2008 and Kirkuk, Iraq in 2009 before leaving the active Army in April 2010.
“[The award] means a lot because even the littlest, the smallest recognition that they give you makes you want to push yourself harder and you already do your job but you want to put in the extra effort because people are noticing what it is you do.
“My plan was to attend college as a full-time student and drill one weekend a month as a Reserve Soldier, but once I began attending the battle training assemblies my plans changed, said Tapia-Rios. “I was missing the everyday challenges of active duty.”
| Date Taken: | 02.21.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 02.27.2013 16:01 |
| Story ID: | 102637 |
| Location: | ATLANTA, GA, US |
| Web Views: | 106 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Flagship publication bestows achievement honors on local Army Reserve and Georgia National Guard Soldiers, by Carla Debro, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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