Photo By Maj. Nadine Wiley De Moura | Lt. Col. Traci Sarmiento smiles in front of the New York state flag in front of the...... read more read more
U.S. Air Force Academy instructor, Doctorate in Computer Science and Cyberspace Operator, are just some of the profound titles Lt. Col. Traci Sarmiento, 690th Intelligence Support Squadron commander, has achieved throughout her U.S Air Force career.
For Sarmiento, the title of squadron commander is an achievement she covets and embraces the opportunity to create a unit climate and space where her Airmen can be their best.
“Everyone will tell you that squadron commander is the best job in the Air Force,” said Sarmiento.
“I think folks will tell you that for a number of different reasons but for me, specifically, the opportunity to come here, to take on this new mission that is coming to the Cyberspace Wing is exciting.”
In addition to getting to know each one of the individuals that make up the “Coyote” family here and having a squadron that is the right size to get to know each person individually, Sarmiento added.
The 690th ISS is one of nine squadrons within the 690th Cyberspace Operations Group located at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland Air Force Base, Texas.
The 690th ISS is responsible for the U.S. Air Force JWICS enterprise mission inside the 688th Cyberspace Wing, the enterprise Wing for the Air Force. Additionally, the Squadron has the local SIPR and JWICS mission for Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas.
Sarmiento, a Syracuse, New York native, said she was inspired to pursue a career in the U.S Air Force because her Uncle was a retired chief master sergeant and it was a way to pay for her undergraduate engineering degree.
She joined the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps program and received her commission from Clarkson University, Potsdam, N.Y.
Her Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering was followed by a Masters of Science in Computer Engineering from the Air Force Institution of Technology and later a Doctorate degree in Computer Science from Texas A & M University.
“Everywhere I have been assigned, I won’t necessarily say I relied directly on my academic specialty background,” said Sarmiento.
“But the grit and determination that it took to get through those degrees is something that I certainly have been able to apply to coming to a new assignment learning and then working towards what best I can do to improve that unit.”
When I was teaching at the U.S. Air Force Academy, those degrees did lend themselves perfectly to that kind of work because those were the students I was teaching and the exact data information that I needed to know, she added.
As a cyber operator Sarmiento has done everything from engineering site layouts for combat communications, to standing up information operation platforms.
“My academic background and the effort that I have put into research helped translate to doing projects that were hard long term, three year projects to include acquisition and fielding,” Sarmiento reflected.
Every assignment there are moments when you are able to make a difference, said Sarmiento.
“Those are the times that I would say are my greatest accomplishments--being able to make a difference for the folks around me serving and creating a climate inside an organization that allows people to be and do their very best.”
Sarmiento reflected on how her marriage and being a mother changed her view of what it means to serve.
“I have a passion for changing things for the better but specifically because I know my children are going to inherit this future and the world in the global situation that we are living in,” said Sarmiento. “That motivates me.”
| Date Taken: | 03.23.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 03.23.2021 18:13 |
| Story ID: | 392125 |
| Location: | SAN ANTONIO , TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 689 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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