Army Cyber Snapshot: Staff Sgt. German Rueda-Montoya

Arlington, Va. — Staff Sgt. German Rueda-Montoya, a 17C, cyberspace operations noncommissioned officer, is an Army National Guardsman (ARNG) from Medellin, Colombia, who currently hails from Revere, Massachusetts, is assigned to the 126th Cyber Protection Battalion (CPB), currently deployed with Task Force Echo (TFE), and recently ran the 39th Army Ten-Miler with the TFE VIII Team, October 8.

The Task Force Echo mobilization is historic in that it marks the first ARNG task force mobilization of this size to support U.S. Cyber Command operations full time and is a testament to the Army’s commitment to the Total Force in defense of networks against the Nation’s adversaries.

QUICK SKETCH:

MOS/Branch and duty position: 17C/US Army – BS Engineer Tier III

Organization: 126th CPB – TFE8

Hometown: Medellin, Colombia – Revere, Massachusetts

Doss High School – Louisville, KY / Grantham University: Information Systems Security

Certifications/Training: Security+, CEH, Cisco CyberOps

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO SERVE AND WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO JOIN THE ARMY?

Serving in the U.S. Army is the best way for me to give something back to the country that has given me everything.

There are two major reasons that motivated me to join: My father was a sergeant in the Colombian army, and I wanted to follow his footsteps; and, after the Boston marathon bombing, I felt I had to do something to protect my family and my city, so I joined the Army.

HOW DID YOU PREPARE FOR THE ARMY TEN-MILER AND WHAT MEMORY WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE ABOUT THE ATM?

A lot of CrossFit and soccer. This is my 3rd Army ten-miler (2018/19/23), I really enjoy running and sightseeing one of the most beautiful cities in the United States.

WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE GOALS?

Spend more time with my family, get a better job, travel more, and run more ATMs.

IS THERE ANYONE YOU’D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE? A ROLE MODEL? OR A FAVORITE QUOTE?

My parents, they are my role models, I am who I am because of them.

“El que no vive para servir, no sirve para vivir” Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

“He who does not live to serve, is not useful to live”.