Chief Master Sgt. Andrea Estes is the Command Chief, 302nd Airlift Wing, Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado. She advises the commander on matters concerning health, morale, welfare and effective utilization of enlisted members within the wing. She also serves as the commander's representative to numerous military and civilian committees, councils and boards.
Chief Estes entered active duty Air Force in September 2000 through Basic Military Training at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. She completed technical training as a vehicle operator at Fort Leonard Wood, Montana, in December 2000. Following training, she served as a vehicle operator at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, and a dispatcher at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. During her time at Hill AFB, she was deployed to Iraq and served as a 50-caliber rifle gunner, truck commander and combat convoy vehicle driver. Estes joined the Air Force Reserve in April 2006 through a Palace Chase transition. She continued to serve as section training manager at Minneapolis Air Reserve Station, Minnesota, until transferring to Grissom Air Reserve Base, Indiana, in September 2012 where she served as the deployment and distribution flight chief and Senior Enlisted Leader of the 434th Logistics Readiness Squadron. Estes has 24 years of satisfactory service, including multiple deployments to Oman, Iraq, Kyrgyzstan, and Kuwait in Support of Operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom and Inherent Resolve.
Estes has been hand selected to fill vacancies for key positions as well as special programs. She was the combined asset manager for all medical and civil engineering equipment for the Innovative Readiness Training program. This program is a joint initiative to provide training to guard and reserve members while also providing no cost assistance to underserved communities. She also worked in Ground Transportation and Traffic Management Policies and Procedures at AFRC A4 to re-write existing base operating services contracts for eight locations while providing oversight of support agreement backlogs at AFRC locations. Most recently, she was asked to fill the 434 ARW Command Chief position while transitioning to the new Command Chief from June to July 2024.
EDUCATION
2009 A.A.S. Transportation Management, Community College of the Air Force
2004 Airman Leadership School, Hill AFB, Utah
2009 Non-Commissioned Officer Academy, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
2015 Senior Non-Commissioned Officer Academy via Correspondence 2019 AFRC Senior Non-Commissioned Officer Leadership Course, Kuwait
2019 Senior Joint PME I & II via correspondence
2021 Greenbelt Practitioner Course via correspondence
2022 Chief Orientation Course via virtual platform
2023 Chief Leadership Course, Gunter Annex, Ala.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. January 2001-March 2004, Vehicle Operator, 28th Transportation Squadron, Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D. (June 2002-September 2002, Vehicle Operator, 405th Logistics Readiness Squadron, Thumrait, Oman)
2. March 2004-April 2006, Vehicle Operations Shift Supervisor, 75th Logistics Readiness Squadron, Hill AFB, Utah. (July 2004-March 2005, Convoy Operations Driver, 632nd Truck Detachment, Balad Air Base, Iraq)
3. April 2006-September 2012, Vehicle Operations Training Manager, 934th Logistics Readiness Squadron, Minneapolis Air Reserve Station, Minn. (June 2011-January 2012, Vehicle Operations Section Chief, 376th Logistics Readiness Squadron, Manas AB, Kyrgyzstan)
4. September 2012-September 2015, Vehicle Operations Supervisor, 434th Logistics Readiness Squadron, Grissom ARB, Ind. (January 2019-August 2019, Ground Transportation Section Chief, 386th Logistics Readiness Squadron)
5. October 2015-September 2016, Vehicle Operations Superintendent, 434th Logistics Readiness Squadron, Grissom ARB, Ind.
6. June 2020-May 2021, Asset Management Project Manager, Innovative Readiness Training, Grissom ARB, Ind.
7. October 2016-February 2022, Distribution Flight Chief, 434th Logistics Readiness Squadron, Grissom ARB, Ind.
8. February 2022-Present, Senior Enlisted Leader, 434th Logistics Readiness Squadron, Grissom ARB, Ind.
9. September 2022-September 2023, Ground Transportation Policies and Procedures Manager, A4RR, Robins AFB, Ga.
10. July 2025-present, Command Chief, 302nd Airlift Wing, Peterson Space Force Base, Colo.
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Joint Service Achievement Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal
Army Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND ASSOCIATIONS
Veterans of Foreign Wars
(Current as of August 2025)