Gabriel Stapert

I joined the Michigan National Guard in February of 2015. In May I went to Fort Jackson, SC, for basic combat training (BCT) for two months. The rest of the year I was in Fort Gordon, GA for advanced individual training (AIT), the vocational focused part of training. That was where I learned the basics of IT including, computer hardware, configuring Cisco network equipment, Operating system installation and configuration, and network security. I excelled in these classes and helped classmates when needed. After AIT, I joined the 156 Expeditionary Signal Battalion. My primary duty was the deployment of Command Post Nodes (CPN) in austere environments. This task often included Driving with a trailer, running copper and fiber optic cabling, and configuring the network equipment that was part of the node. Equipment included cryptographic equipment, commercial routers, switches, and VOIP servers. I was good at this job. When I needed help I learned as much as I could from the subject matter experts. I became the first source of help for my peers before they went to the leadership. I was chosen for additional training for my experience with the equipment, including a two week training course for the SNAP satellite terminal. Additional tasks included assisting deployment of a Satellite Terminal Trailer (STT) and other radio transmission systems which provided connectivity to the CPN, and tending to diesel generators.

• Drive with trailers
• Deploy network equipment in austere environments
• Cross train with satellite terminal technicians

After my military training, I wanted to use the IT training I received to get a civilian IT job. I got a job at CompRenew as an IT Refurbishment Technician. CompRenew is an E-waste management company which recycles and refurbishes used electronic devices donated by residential and corporate . My primary job was to refurbish desktop computers. I made sure every computer had a standard configuration of RAM and hard drive based on the processor in the computer. Higher end computers got better hard drives and occasionally more RAM. Once the computers were cleaned, the hardware was configured, and bios set to defaults, I installed the operating system and ran a battery of tests to ensure the computer was ready to be sold. I installed Windows, Ubuntu, and Linux Mint. In addition to refurbishing computers, I also refurbished computer components including hard drives, memory, graphics cards, and a variety of miscellaneous components.

• Configure desktop computers with standardized hardware specifications
• Install Windows and Linux along with drivers and updates
• Run burn in tests

After working at CompRenew for a while, I noticed that most of the network equipment was only going to reclaim. I had training from the National Guard to work with network equipment, especially Cisco devices. I set up a small testing station with a router and switch to start testing and refurbishing some of the network equipment. I did this in addition to the other parts of my job at first, but eventually it became the primary focus of my job. Eventually networking became my own department and I was able to focus solely on network equipment. My network testing station has since evolved to have a virtualization server and several virtual servers for testing equipment, storage for department files, and local DNS. In 2021, my department expanded and I got a coworker who I trained to work on network equipment and help with testing devices. Later on my coworker left for another job and another replaced him. He also left for another job and the company decided I would run the department on my own. I was let go in 2023 during company downsizing.

• Configure network equipment
• Test key functions of the devices
• Test additional features when possible