129 Years of Family Serving Family: Andrew Guerrero-Petty, JBER
One in a series honoring the Exchange’s 129 years of family serving family.
Who he is: Andrew Guerrero-Petty, Human Resources manager, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson
Years with the Exchange: Two and a half
Military connections: Andrew’s father is U.S. Army Armor School Command Sgt. Maj. Waylon D. Petty, currently stationed at Fort Moore.
“My dad has been active duty for my whole life, so even though I was born in San Antonio, we moved for the first time when I was 2 months old, and I lived in nine different states growing up.”
What brought him to the Exchange: “We had just relocated from Kansas to Washington where my dad was the CSM at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. I had been working as a recruiter for American Eagle and there wasn’t a location in the northwest region for me to transfer to, so my dad mentioned the Exchange.
“He told me that anywhere we go, the Exchange can help me find a job, so I was happy to look into it. Growing up, I remember going to the Exchange, but it wasn’t until I got older that I realized, ‘Wow, we literally are everywhere.’”
What he did at first: Andrew started his Exchange career as a Human Resources technician at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in December 2021.
He was temporarily promoted to recruiting manager at Hill Air Force Base during his time at JBLM, then took the same position at Randolph Air Force Base in August 2024. He assumed his current role in January 2024.
First time in Alaska: “Taking the job at JBER was my first time in Alaska, and I was very naïve at first, thinking of the usual stereotypes. Am I going to be on an iceberg? Will it just be cold 24/7?
“Winters are harsh and the long hours of sunlight and darkness in parts of the year take some getting used to but overcoming that to provide the same kind of Exchange experience that you would get anywhere else is amazing.”
Alaska moments: Typical for Alaska, run-ins with the local wildlife are almost guaranteed.
“I remember doing my normal routine one day and a huge moose comes right up to my office window. That’s not something you hear about anywhere else but in Alaska, that’s just normal. They’re much bigger in person.”
Family serving family: “Any time we are bringing in someone who has never been to Alaska before, I always give them background on what to expect and what my background is since it was my first time here not long ago, too. I want to help build a strong talent pipeline here and build a great relationship with the community both on and off base.
“Alaska is very tight-knit. The weather changes, isolation—and all the other challenges can affect you, and I discovered that everyone looks out for each other here, which is amazing. All the small things everyone does to make sure people are doing okay make Alaska special.”
