Photo By Tech. Sgt. Sarah McClanahan | U.S. Air Force Maj. Christina Mayo, cyber operator for the 175th Cyberspace Operations...... read more read more
U.S. Air Force Maj. Christina Mayo, a cyber operations officer with the 175th Cyberspace Operations Squadron, 175th Wing, has overcome discrimination and built a successful career for herself, serving in the Maryland Air National Guard since 2010.
Growing up as an African-American woman in Baltimore made her want to change the world around her, which pushed her to always be a leader wherever she went. She helped start the Institute of Industrial Engineers academic organization at school, while working towards her undergraduate degree in industrial systems engineering at Morgan State University. She also worked on the Diversity and Inclusion Council at Lockheed Martin Corporation before she joined the Maryland Air National Guard.
“I care about people, that’s what makes me [get out] to talk to people. I’ve always said ‘never leave an airman behind [or my team member].’” said Mayo, who spoke of being shy and afraid of people.
She recently returned from Mississippi as the project officer for Southern Strike 2021, a Joint Exercise where she coordinated the 175th Wing’s cyber operations support of different U.S. and international military elements in March, 2021.
“I really appreciate [how] she’s been providing us with an abundance of opportunities to be able to go out and see what special forces are doing and be able to see the different aspects so we can gain understanding,” said U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Gianna DeJong-Kaiser, an operations intelligence analyst for the 275th Cyberspace Operations Squadron, 175th Wing, who provided intel support and analysis for the Blue Cell (defense) team in Southern Strike ‘21. “Then [we] can create those relationships and establish them […] so it will be kind of a constant.”
“She’s motivated, enthusiastic, and is all about team building, and she’s definitely put all of us in front of the special operations folks to highlight our achievements and our abilities and skills,” said Senior Airman Travis Brown, a cyber warfare operator for the 175th Cyberspace Operations Squadron who served as a cyber warfare operator on the Red Cell (offense) team in Southern Strike ‘21.
When asked how she felt about her identity as an African-American woman in a profession historically dominated by men, Mayo said “To hear these comments that are made to me from different perspectives, from an army officer to an air […] enlisted member, makes me understand how important it is for me to be out there [leading in the] front.” She is one of the first female African American amongst the leadership of the 175th Cyberspace Operations and the 175th Wing.
Mayo said she witnessed the change in diversity within her unit in cyberspace operations. Her painfully intimate experiences with discrimination in the military taught her the importance of issues like transparency in authority and promoting equity throughout her career. Her personal experiences in dealing with and helping her airmen with these issues pushed her to start the Wing’s first diversity council.
“For me, loyalty to the right thing [and] not the wrong thing and my transparency and accountability also play a major role in […] being in the military,” Mayo said.
Mayo also led the 175th Wing’s family day celebration in 2019 and started the Wing’s first running team. Her experience in spearheading these exercises and events had her recommended by Brig. Gen. Janeen L. Birckhead, Maryland Army National Guard commander and leader of Maryland’s Vaccine Equity Task Force, to join the Vaccine Equity Task Force.
By staying committed to both the military and her personal values, Mayo said she could set a better example. “Because for me, it is not [just] the color of [your skin], it’s a human issue,” she said. “We [humans] need to love each other, and care for each other, and make sure we believe in each other.”
When Mayo isn’t in uniform, she enjoys participating in a variety of sports and raising her family of three daughters. She also said said she definitely looks forward to playing in the amateur’s dodgeball league again at Fort Meade when the COVID-19 restrictions ease.
“Ariona is the first in our family to graduate from the USFA [United States Air Force Academy],” Mayo said about her eldest daughter attaining her engineering degree. “I am proud and thankful of her ability to reach her full potential.”
| Date Taken: | 05.20.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 06.28.2021 07:24 |
| Story ID: | 397335 |
| Location: | MD, US |
| Hometown: | BALTIMORE, MD, US |
| Web Views: | 150 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Behind the Uniform: Major Christina Mayo, by SPC Christina Chang, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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