Cedrick Lee Ward
Senior Network & Systems Engineer
San Diego, CA · Active TS/SCI Clearance · cedrickward@proton.me · linkedin.com/in/noid
Summary
Senior IT Systems Engineer with 15+ years across on-premises infrastructure, virtualization, and secure hybrid environments for the DoD. Skilled in Cisco networking, Nutanix, and VMware vSphere, with a strong focus on building resilient, high-availability systems in austere conditions. Proficient in managing complex migrations and cloud-managed on-prem assets across NIPR/SIPR and enterprise networks. Twenty years of military service (SFC / E-7, 25B4O) with proven leadership in deployed and austere environments — Iraq, Afghanistan, Jordan, Kuwait, and Fort Gordon. Active TS/SCI clearance. Dedicated to mission success through technical excellence and rapid adaptation to new technologies.
Skills
- Networking:
- Cisco ASA, Cisco Firepower NGFW, Cisco Catalyst, WLC, CUCM, Cisco ISE, DNS, VPN, VLANs, STP, OSPF, EIGRP, QoS, LAN/WAN, Satellite & Edge Routing, Load Balancing
- Virtualization · Cloud · Infrastructure:
- VMware vSphere, Hyper-V, Nutanix AOS/AHV, Azure Arc, Azure Files, Entra ID, Hybrid Infrastructure, High-Availability Systems, Cloud-Managed On-Prem Assets
- Cybersecurity · Compliance:
- STIG Compliance, Tenable Nessus, ACAS, RHEL Hardening, Vulnerability Remediation, Classified / Unclassified Environments, NIPR/SIPR Operations
- Systems · Automation:
- PowerShell, Windows Server, Linux / RHEL, Active Directory, SCCM, WSUS, System Migrations
- Leadership:
- Team Leadership, Contractor Supervision, Technical Briefings, Infrastructure Readiness, Operational Risk Communication, Multi-Site Coordination, Deployed Operations
Experience
Communications Section Chief
May 2006 – Present
U.S. Army Reserve
- Lead communications readiness and technical operations for a 200+ Soldier organization across training and mission environments.
- Manage and mentor personnel responsible for enterprise IT, communications support, operational metrics, and readiness reporting.
- Brief commanders and staff on infrastructure readiness, operational risk, and mission capability.
Network Operations Manager
May 2025 – May 2026
U.S. Army Reserve — Fort Gordon, GA
- Supported Fort Gordon network operations across enterprise L2/L3 infrastructure — Cisco routing, switching, VLANs, OSPF, and LAN/WAN connectivity across NIPR/SIPR network segments.
- Troubleshot and maintained route/switch and firewall connectivity — ACLs, NAT, VPN paths, and boundary access issues — sustaining secure network availability across assigned DoD infrastructure.
- Coordinated with NEC/RNEC and technical teams on change control, network monitoring, STIG/ACAS remediation, documentation, and mission continuity across enterprise network environments.
Network & Cloud Security Engineer
Sept 2021 – Apr 2025
ECS Federal LLC — U.S.N.S. Mercy Hospital Ship
- Managed enterprise network infrastructure across NIPR/SIPR for a 24/7 shipboard medical facility supporting up to 1,200 personnel, with zero tolerance for downtime.
- Maintained and optimized a Cisco environment: Catalyst 9600 core switches, ASA/Firepower NGFWs, voice routers, 50+ access points, WLCs, and virtual CUCM.
- Deployed and administered Nutanix AOS/AHV clusters for virtualized workloads, including migration of services between physical and virtual environments.
- Led infrastructure hardening with Tenable Nessus, ACAS, and RHEL Satellite; enforced STIG compliance and managed authentication via Cisco ACS/ISE across classified and unclassified networks.
- Performed network monitoring, outage response, configuration support, and infrastructure documentation to maintain operational continuity and mission readiness.
Network Operations Manager
Jun 2020 – May 2021
U.S. Army Reserve — Kuwait Deployment
- Led migration of 600+ switches from Brocade to Cisco across classified and unclassified domains while maintaining continuous operations.
- Supervised 15 contractors and 9 Soldiers operating and maintaining the Network Enterprise Center at Camp Arifjan.
- Managed switching across secure hybrid environments and optimized traffic across complex routing paths under latency and bandwidth constraints.
System Administrator
Sept 2018 – Dec 2018
Acara Solutions
- Executed Linux workstation hardening for classified F-35 program requirements.
- Installed and configured VMware/Hyper-V solutions and managed large Active Directory environments.
- Conducted ACAS scans to support STIG and cybersecurity compliance.
Windows Deployment Supervisor
Jan 2018 – Apr 2018
DXC Technology — Okinawa, Japan
- Led a 20-person team across four DoD bases executing Windows 10 migration, user data recovery, and system restoration for 400 users.
- Briefed DoD stakeholders and senior leadership, delivering modernization objectives ahead of schedule across classified and unclassified environments.
Network Engineer
Jun 2016 – Aug 2017
U.S. Army Reserve — Jordan Deployment
- Managed Cisco switching and Cisco Unified Communications Manager in an austere environment.
- Used Nessus, ACAS, and SCAP tooling to identify vulnerabilities and harden systems to DIACAP and DISA STIG requirements.
Systems Engineer
Apr 2015 – Jun 2016
NCI Information Systems
- Remediated vulnerabilities across enterprise systems using SCCM, WSUS, policy updates, and scripting in secure environments supporting 300,000+ users and 600,000+ devices.
Linux Systems Engineer
Dec 2012 – Apr 2014
MEDWEB — Afghanistan
- Supported 26 Integrated Healthcare Enterprise sites across multiple domains through remote and onsite technical support.
- Managed and maintained 50+ Red Hat Enterprise Linux servers across Afghanistan and the U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons.
- Trained clinicians and medical staff on radiologic software and hardware platforms.
Network Administrator
Dec 2011 – Jan 2013
U.S. Army Reserve — Afghanistan Deployment
- Oversaw the Composite Health Care System II and administered Active Directory, VoIP, and VTC services.
- Managed hospital communications supporting 50+ joint forces personnel.
- Administered the Medweb telemedicine platform — user accounts and system availability.
Signal Support Technician
Feb 2008 – Apr 2009
U.S. Army Reserve — Iraq Deployment
- Supported the MC4 medical network and served as liaison between DoD and vendor support teams.
- Provisioned and managed NIPR/SIPR network accounts and maintained tactical radio communications.
Education
B.S., Systems & Cloud Administration — Western Governors University
2024 – 2026
A.S., Applied Business — Mountain View Community College
2015 – 2017
Certifications
CompTIA SecurityX (CASP+) · CompTIA Network+ · CompTIA Linux+ · CompTIA Cloud+ · CompTIA A+ · CompTIA Project+ · ITIL v4 Foundation
In progress: Cisco CCNA · Planned: Cisco CCNP Service Provider (SPRI)