Warrior of the Week: Staff Sgt. Timothy Stencil

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Derek VanHorn
  • 319th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  The growing dependency on virtual technology means having a busted computer can bring life to a grinding halt. But thanks to one "cyber warrior," it's a problem Grand Forks Airmen find short-lived.

"The best part about what I do is interacting with different people on base," said Staff Sgt. Timothy Stencil, a cyber transport technician with the 319th Communications Squadron. "When I get to know more and more people, I feel I have a responsibility to help them out as much as I possibly can. If people are waiting on us to do our job, that usually means they aren't able to do their jobs."

Stencil said his office manages the entire base computer network.

"When you sit down at your computer, we handle every step between logging in and authenticating to the bigger Air Force network," Stencil said.

This labyrinthian task is made easier by Stencil's co-workers, who demonstrate what it means to be a part of a team.

"We have a really great and close-knit shop," Stencil said, who has been part of the 10-man office for more than three years. "As long as I have been here we've had great leadership and motivated Airmen that realize we have a busy job that keeps us motivated to get things done."

Stencil said that while he spent most of his youth aspiring to be a pilot, the closer the time came for him to join the Air Force, the more he "got into the geeky side of things."

And the constantly evolving technology keeps Stencil and his fellow Airmen on their toes.

"It's always a challenge because there is always new technology you have to adapt to," said the Green Bay, Wis., native. "Someone will bring a new technique into the picture so you are constantly learning new ways to get work done. It's very open and we have a lot of control over our network, so it's a pretty big task to be in charge of millions of dollars worth of equipment handled by the handful of Airmen in our shop."

If Stencil wasn't spending his days keeping computers up to speed, he said he would like to become a professional motorcyclist. He is the current owner of two bikes and likes to spend his free time staying fit by taking part in activities like hiking, biking, disc golf, and ultimate Frisbee.

If he excels at any of these activities, you won't hear it from him.

"I like to say I don't do any one thing particularly well, but rather that I just have and take part in a lot of different interests."

This trait coupled with his dedication to the job provided Stencil the opportunity to take part in a unique deployment in 2010.

Stencil was tasked to provide communications support to Army Special Forces conducting covert operations in Al Kut, Iraq - an uncommon opportunity for Airmen in the communications career field.

Stencil said it was "a very good experience" and found it intriguing to work with different organizations and learn how they all worked together. The deployment also heightened his interest in similar opportunities for the future.

"I would love to take another assignment like that," he said. "You're required to know a broad spectrum; from basic computer tasks to higher level satellite, and that makes those experiences that much more fun."