Commanding Officer
Cmdr. Tyler "Bento" Olvey
Cmdr. Olvey is a native of Pueblo, Colorado, and graduated from The United States Naval Academy in 2008 with a Bachelor of Science in Systems Engineering. His naval aviation journey began at Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola, Florida, and NAS Whiting Field, Florida, where he completed flight training and earned his wings in April 2010. He then reported to the Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 3 the “Merlins” in San Diego, California, for initial fleet training on the MH-60S Seahawk helicopter.
In December 2010, Olvey began operational flying with the “Island Knights” of HSC-25 at Anderson Air Force Base, Guam. During this time, he completed two deployments, supporting Operation New Dawn in Basrah, Iraq, and serving aboard USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) in the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command area of responsibility (AOR).
His journey continued as he reported to Helicopter Training Squadron (HT) 18 “Factory Hands” at NAS Whiting Field, Florida, in February 2014, assuming the role of a Flight Instructor. In 2017, he joined USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) as a Catapult and Arresting Gear Launch Officer.
Returning to the fleet, Olvey became a Department Head at HSC-25. During his tenure with the “Island Knights,” he served as the Operations Officer and completed a deployment aboard USNS Alan Shepard (T-AKE 3) in support of Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 5.
Following his Department Head tour, Olvey transitioned to the role of Joint Fires Officer at U.S. Africa Command, J-3 Directorate in Stuttgart, Germany. In this capacity, he played a crucial role in synchronizing all kinetic and non-kinetic fires in the AOR.
With over 2,800 flight hours, Olvey’s awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Strike/Flight Air Medal, Navy Commendation Medal (two awards), Joint Service Achievement Medal, and Navy/Marine Corps Achievement Medal (two awards), along with various service awards and ribbons.