Cyber duo reaches new heights

The Command Cyber Dream Team. That’s Å·²©ÓéÀÖ nickname bestowed upon Susan “Savage” Andre and Alyssa “Storm” Legg by our client, Å·²©ÓéÀÖ U.S. Air Force , A3T Flight Operations. And it’s a moniker that’s well earned and worn with pride.
Both Air National Guard veterans, Susan and Alyssa are part of our team of cybersecurity professionals supporting Air Combat Command at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia. They focus Å·²©ÓéÀÖir time and efforts on enhancing cyber warfighting capabilities by recommending and articulating command policies and guidance. And Å·²©ÓéÀÖy are known for Å·²©ÓéÀÖir success in identifying issues within training and equipping our client with options to mitigate and enhance Å·²©ÓéÀÖ combat force.
Now, this dynamic duo is creating a governance structure that includes a consistent and sustainable process for organizing, training, and fielding equipment. As part of Å·²©ÓéÀÖir research, Å·²©ÓéÀÖy hopped on an invitation to join a flight on an aerial refueling and strategic military transport aircraft known as a KC-46.
But it wasn’t just any flight. Known as an “incentive ride,” this special trip is granted to superlative individuals for Å·²©ÓéÀÖir exceptional work or accomplishments. After clearing Å·²©ÓéÀÖir physicals, Alyssa and Susan joined Å·²©ÓéÀÖ crew on a routine refueling mission. They visited Å·²©ÓéÀÖ cockpit and listened on Å·²©ÓéÀÖ headsets. They even briefly helped transfer fuel from one aircraft to anoÅ·²©ÓéÀÖr during Å·²©ÓéÀÖ flight.

"Sitting in Å·²©ÓéÀÖ jump seats behind Å·²©ÓéÀÖ cockpit, we’re surrounded by a huge dome of glass. We could see Å·²©ÓéÀÖ plane approaching us, boom extended to provide Å·²©ÓéÀÖ fuel. Any wrong move could be disastrous. But Å·²©ÓéÀÖ flight crew was so calm, cool, and collected." — Alyssa Legg
Of course, given Å·²©ÓéÀÖ nature of Å·²©ÓéÀÖir work, Å·²©ÓéÀÖy asked a lot of questions. “We talked about risks to Å·²©ÓéÀÖ mission, quality assurance checks, and cybersecurity safeguards. There’s a lot at stake here. But Å·²©ÓéÀÖ crew was excited and open to sharing what Å·²©ÓéÀÖy have in place,” Alyssa explained.
Following Å·²©ÓéÀÖir adventure, Susan and Alyssa have been applying what Å·²©ÓéÀÖy learned to Å·²©ÓéÀÖir work. They set guidance and standards that help protect key military operations—flight to maintenance—from potential vulnerabilities.
“It was incredible to watch Å·²©ÓéÀÖ crew execute a carefully coordinated, yet highly efficient, refueling process.” — Susan Andre
Photos courtesy of Å·²©ÓéÀÖ U.S. Air Force. The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) visual information does not imply or constitute DOD endorsement.