Three Hawaii-based Reservists who support cyber and law enforcement missions shared how they support the larger Navy force, helping to make it more adaptable, add operational capabilities, fill manpower gaps and contribute specialized expertise to ensure readiness.
“I’m just looking forward to contributing to the communication mission because I’ve never had that experience before,” said Information Systems Technician Chief Vince Agas, a Navy Reservist currently stationed at the Naval Computer and Telecommunications Area Master Station, Pacific (NCTAMS) in Wahiawa. Agas is currently completing eight months of challenging coursework to become a joint fleet telecommunications watch officer, an experience he describes as drinking through a “fire hose times two.” In the new role, he will oversee about 30 personnel to ensure that the Navy network remains reliable around the clock.
Navy Reservists typically train with their unit once a month on the weekend and complete two weeks or up to 29 days per year of full-time annual training. The training enhances a Reserve Sailor’s civilian career as well as their military career.
“From protecting our homeland to supporting missions abroad, our Reserve Sailors bring specialized experience, surge capacity, and mission-essential expertise to every fight,” noted Vice Adm. Nancy Lacore, Chief of Navy Reserve, last April when she announced that the Navy Reserve Force was 100% manned.
Senior Chief Master-at-Arms Alicia McBride, who is currently attached to Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command San Diego and drills with her Navy Reserve unit on Joint Base Pearl Harbor – Hickam (JBPHH) , is getting activated this month for a nine-month deployment to Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti, Africa, where she will be the senior enlisted leader in charge of base security.
McBride anticipates growing as a leader during her deployment and said that the Navy Reserve set her on the path to a rewarding civilian career as a special agent with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) on JBPHH.
“I strongly believe because I was a Reservist before I was an agent in NCIS, it’s helped me tremendously in getting my civilian job,” said McBride, explaining that knowledge of the Navy, including its commands, culture, and operations and the networking opportunities it provided were key to her landing a job as a special agent, a demanding role where she investigates major felonies, terrorism, and counterintelligence threats impacting the Navy and Marine Corps.
For Information Systems Technician Chief Verdis Womack, who completed nine years of active-duty service, the ability to prioritize family time was one reason he joined the Reserve.
“The rewarding part about being in the Reserve is it lets you serve at your own pace,” he said. “I wanted to take time to be with my family. I had small children, and having experienced active duty, I understood, when you’re active duty, the priority is mission and the ship, whereas when you're a Reservist, your priority can be your family and your outside career.”
Womack, who is deploying to Jordan this month to support information technology operations for a joint task force, said that he has also enjoyed how the Navy Reserve has kept him connected to the military community.
Agas also was proud to fulfill a critical manpower need by going on Active Duty Operational Support (ADOS) orders for the Defense Information System Agency (DISA) Pacific located on Ford Island for three years until he transferred back to regular active-duty status in June 2025.
ADOS orders are unique to the Navy Reserve, allowing Sailors to fulfill critical manpower needs within their area of expertise for short or long-term full-time deployments lasting from 30 days up to one year.
Womack believes that Reserve Sailors may sometimes lose sight of how they support the mission, but he has a way to keep them motivated.
“When you can give service members the why behind what they're doing, then you can build a culture where people are trained as effective technicians and war fighters,” he explained.
Navy Reserve Sailors can find and apply to ADOS opportunities on the website:
https://locker.private.navyreserve.navy.mil.