Enlisted Corps Spotlight for June

Rank/Name – Petty Officer 1st Class Dan Graves

Duty Title/Directorate – Operations Admin Lead Petty Officer, Global Operations directorate (J3)

Hometown – Lancaster, Pa.

Time in Service – 6 years, 10 months

Q: How does your job support USSTRATCOM and our missions?   

A: As the J3 task manager, I help provide J3 coordination on tasks related to national-level policies that have a direct impact on the success of USSTRATCOM'S missions around the world and in space.

Q: What do you find most rewarding about your work at USSTRATCOM?  

A: Knowing  what we do each day plays an important role in making sure the warfighters USSTRATCOM, and specifically the J3, support have the tools they need to complete their mission.

Q: What has been a challenge for you regarding your work at USSTRATCOM and how have you overcome that challenge? 

A: The J3 front office can be a fast pace environment and at times it is hard to complete all the tasks that I set out to accomplish at the beginning of the day.  The key to overcoming this challenge is learning how to prioritize.  Each day I make a list, starting with the most important tasks at the top, and move on from there.  As long as the most important tasks on the list are complete, it has been a successful day.

Q: What has been your most memorable experience in the military?

A: My 2014 deployment aboard the USS George H.W. Bush.

Q: What is the one piece of information or advice about working at USSTRATCOM that you'd pass on to new members of the USSTRATCOM team?   

A: USSTRATCOM is a large and complex organization. Even after being at the command for 17 months, there is still a lot I do not know.  Make it a point to learn something new each day about USSTRATCOM and its missions.