Spotlight on 1st TSC Engineer-CW3 Florentino

By Wendy ArevaloFebruary 19, 2020

Spotlight on 1st TSC Engineer-CW3 Florentino
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT KNOX, Ky. -- Chief Warrant Officer 3 Timothy Florentino has been an engineer with the 1st Theater Sustainment Command since Dec. 2018.

His 16-year career in engineering dates back to his time as an enlisted Soldier.

"I spent my enlisted time as a prime power production specialist," Florentino said. "We ran base camp power plants and conducted emergency power inspections. "I ran quite a few of the power grids in theater."

After becoming a warrant officer in 2012, he was stationed at Fort Bragg. His notable projects there included the renovation of the air assault school and the creation of a rapid runway repair training area at Pope Army Airfield.

At the 1st TSC, he serves as a facilities and base camp engineer. As a facilities officer, he works with the Directorate of Public Works to maintain and improve 1st TSC's facilities on Fort Knox.

In his role as base camp engineer, he advises 1st TSC senior leaders on the location and design of 1st TSC facilities in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility-which includes 20 countries and spans 6 million-square miles.

"I make sure the logisticians have the facilities they need at 106 different locations, located everywhere from Egypt to Afghanistan," he said.

Florentino said one of the challenges of his job overseas is "trying to right-size our construction needs to fit our mission."

"A lot of times in the military our instinct is when we see a problem, we try to knock it out as quickly as we can," he said. "But, with construction, you have to kind of see the problem and pull back for a second, because what may be the solution at that time, may not be worth the cost."

Ensuring that 1st TSC has the facilities they need while operating under budget constraints is another challenge of the job.

"I try to help the 1st TSC save money while staying operationally flexible so that the logisticians don't have to worry about the engineer side of it, they just have to worry about their job," Florentino said.

For him, creating something from nothing provides the most job satisfaction.

"One of the most rewarding parts of my job, of being an engineer in general, is that you have something when you get done with it," Florentino said. "There's a tangible result that doesn't just affect you, but also affects everybody else. So, it's just nice to know that things I do now people are going to use long after I retire."