First Lieutenant Tony Salinero
Although 1st Lt. Tony Salinero has only been in the Army for two years, the Charleston, S.C. native has served in uniform for almost nine.
"I joined the Army because they have more equipment for their soldiers and I knew they do a better job funding newer equipment," Salinero said.
As a platoon leader within the Army's Brigade Combat Team, the branch known as the cornerstone for Army modernization, Salinero is working with some of the most advanced technologies the service has to offer including the Class 1 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and the Small Unmanned Ground Vehicle (SUGV).
"In my position I get to see all the information they collect in real time, so I know where to put soldiers," said Salinero.
The 27 year old, who served two tours in Iraq, recognizes the capabilities these technologies will offer those serving in theater.
"They empower the soldier at the lowest levels because information is now getting to them on the ground faster so they can act without having to wait on information coming from the top down," he stated. "The platoon level never had this technology, but now I'm the person seeing the pictures and I make the tactical decision."
While Salinero has no plans of getting off active duty in the near future, he knows there are several opportunities that await him because of his training and experience with these systems.
"Although I'm not a technical operator, I manage people, money and information coming from multiple live feeds. The Army trusts me to lead and has put me in a position to be a top candidate for a lot of jobs when I decide to get out."
A Citadel graduate, Salinero earned his commission through ROTC and is currently stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas.
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