REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. -- One U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command leader keeps the lines of communication open between the command and U.S. Strategic Command as both organizations stay on alert for national defense.
Lt. Col. Victoria Miralda, USASMDC/ARSTRAT Forward Detachment commander at STRATCOM in Omaha, Neb., was at Redstone Arsenal July 16-17 to talk with leaders within the command in regards to U.S. STRATCOM policies, as well as prepare to make her way home to SMDC headquarters in the next few months.
"I came down for a meeting with the commanding general and key staff that concerns some of the future decisions for our capabilities," Miralda said. "I also began tying into the Future Warfare Center. I will be moving down here soon to work as the director of combat developments under the Future Warfare Center.
"The FWC is responsible for documenting requirements and capabilities related to space and missile defense for the Army," she continued. "We basically build the future, or as the commanding general says, 'We build tomorrow's capabilities.' So being in the heart of that is going to be perfect for me. This will be my third location in the same organization (FWC) for this command so I think between that and having the operational background experience, I can offer a new perspective of why these capabilities are required for the future force.
"I know a lot of the current Functional Area-40 Soldiers who have recently completed or are out there doing the mission right now and so I will be able to make sure we reach out to them," Miralda added.
She graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., and was commissioned as a signal officer in 1990. She later earned a Master of Science in Telecommunications from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2000. She first came to SMDC after being appointed as a FA-40 officer in 2003 where she was assigned to the Force Development Integration Center in Crystal City in Arlington, Va.
After working at FDIC, she was on an Office of the Secretary of Defense Joint Test and Evaluation Team for Joint Space Control Operations Negation and then reassigned to SMDC as the executive officer to Brig. Gen. Roger Matthews, deputy commanding general for operations.
Miralda then became the 1st Space Brigade's S-3 where she deployed to U.S. Central Command as the deputy director for space from November 2008 to December 2009.
"I have enjoyed all of my jobs because there is always a way to make a difference and a positive impact, not only for the command and the Army, but for its people," Miralda said. "So every day as we do our job, to be able to link the folks we come into contact with and to gain momentum as a team, to me, is a great success.
"I think as a senior leader, I will be able to see that opportunity and help bridge some of those gaps that we have and accomplish more as a team," she added.
Miralda discussed the importance of STRATCOM and SMDC's relationship and explained the purpose of her visit.
"Currently my job at STRATCOM entails representing the SMDC commanding general, (Lt. Gen. Richard P. Formica), at the four-star headquarters to Gen. C. Robert Kehler, STRATCOM commanding general," Miralda said. "My job is to help keep Gen. Kehler and staff informed on all of our command issues, positions and priorities, how we integrate our capabilities and feed back to our command and its staff the STRATCOM objectives, priorities and requirements.
"That is what we do at the SMDC/ARSTRAT Forward Detachment; we basically ensure the lines of operation are open and healthy between our commands so there are no surprises and that our commander can then better support his boss," she continued. "We are physically present there building personal relationships and making sure they know what our command has to offer, because not many arrive to USSTRATCOM knowing what a service, much less the Army service, component provides. We are the most robust service component to STRATCOM but it takes reinforcement to keep it that way in all aspects.
"It is important because providing capabilities is what we do," Miralda added. "It is our mission, and a lot of the capabilities that the regional combatant commanders need are provided through STRATCOM and our command providing those capabilities to STRATCOM in support of the regional combatant command plans. As we prepare to deploy and execute those missions, our readiness state, the availability of different types of systems and Soldiers all feed back up to STRATCOM."
Before heading back to STRATCOM headquarters, Miralda said she was excited about becoming a permanent resident of Redstone Arsenal.
"I am just excited about the new job. I just got to meet some of the team for the first time and some of them I have known professionally for a decade, so it is wonderful to work with people you know and share common history with," Miralda said. "It feels like family and it will be great to be working in Huntsville."
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