Presidio of Monterey, Calif. -- She installs and configures software operating systems and applications; she performs information technology support functions; she integrates base communications systems. Airman 1st Class Arely Juarez Hernandez is a client systems operator assigned to the 517th Training Group.
Juarez Hernandez did not join the Air Force with the desire to work on computers though. In fact, when she went to basic military training, she did not know what her job would be, and when she found out, she still didn’t know what exactly it meant.
“To be fair, I didn’t know what my job was until I actually started classes in tech school,” said Juarez Hernandez. “It was super mysterious, nobody in BMT told me anything about it. They would just say ‘you are going to support communications’.”
After completing technical school at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi, she was stationed at Presidio of Monterey, California, ready to do the job.
“She can easily handle between 20 to 30 or 40 tickets a day, depending on the day,” said Staff Sgt. Raul Caballero, client systems noncommissioned officer in charge. “She is the ranking technician here; she is a subject matter expert.”
Caballero steps back and gives his team the opportunity to show their creativity when it comes to problem solving and finding resolution.
“She’s very creative,” said Caballero. “She’ll have her own way to get there. I may have experience in the Air Force, but these guys show me and help me learn and grow every day. I think that’s pretty exciting.”
Juarez Hernandez is not only creative in her problem solving, but artistically as well. She taught herself to draw and will sketch on note pads from time to time. Her coworkers have taken notice and display her work in their office.
Caballero also spoke on how Juarez Hernandez takes care of the office by the small acts of kindness she does every day, such as sharing snacks or keeping the candy jar full.
“She’ll get a random package at the desk. People know she likes to make sure the snacks are filled,” said Caballero. “It brings people around to just have conversations. I don’t even know if she knows how big of an impact she makes.”
For the 517th Client Systems Operations office, she is their chief of morale.
“I just like to see people happy,” said Juarez Hernandez.