Senior Master Sergeant da Camara Canto is the Reserve Superintendent of the Center for Character and Leadership Development (CCLD), U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA), Colorado. He serves as the reserve senior enlisted leader to the center directors on matters concerning the understanding and implementation of effective character and leadership development practices across military, academic, and athletic settings for cadets, faculty, and staff. He helps lead a team of twenty-two military and civilian personnel supporting over 4,200-member Cadet Wing and personnel assigned to the USAFA. Additionally, he serves as an Enlisted Academic Faculty Instructor at the CCLD. He recently volunteered and filled a key joint vacancy overseas, to manage and execute U.S. Southern Command’s largest approved Global Peacekeeping and Defense Security Cooperation Agency operations and initiatives, and to advance the U.S. Embassy Montevideo’s (Uruguay) Integrated Country Team Strategy.

Sergeant da Camara Canto entered the Army in 1986 and the Air Force Reserve in 1998. His background includes various duties in Imagery Analysis and in Education and Training at the unit, base, and major command levels. Throughout his career, he has filled a myriad of roles including squad leader, platoon sergeant, non-commissioned officer in charge, investigator, base and unit training manager, additional-duty first sergeant, first sergeant, and superintendent. His assignments include bases in Arizona, Texas, California, Hawai’i, and South Korea. He deployed to a Counter-Terrorism Expeditionary Group, in support of operations Freedom’s Sentinel and Resolute Support. Sergeant da Camara Canto also backfilled vacancies with the Air Force second largest foreign language training unit, located in the multi-service Defense Language Institute at the Presidio of Monterey; and with the International Affairs Specialist Reserve Programs, Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force, at the Pentagon/Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington DC. Prior to assuming his current position, he served as the Superintendent for Operations, Plans, Readiness & Exercises, Headquarters U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Camp H.M. Smith, Hawai’i.

1989 U.S. Army Primary Leadership Development Course, Fort Hood, Texas

1998 Noncommissioned Officer Academy, by correspondence

2007 Associate degree in Criminal Justice, Community College of the Air Force

2010 AFRC Noncommissioned Officer Leadership Development Course, Travis Air Force Base, California

2011 Associate degree in Education and Training Management, Community College of the Air Force

2011 Senior Enlisted Joint Professional Military Education, by correspondence (Legacy version)

2013 Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy, by correspondence

2013 Bachelor of Science degree in Human Services, Thomas Edison State College

2013 Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice, Excelsior College, College

2014 First Sergeant Academy, Maxwell AFB-Gunter Annex, Alabama

2015 AFRC Senior Noncommissioned Officer Leadership Course, Travis AFB, California

2015 Senior Noncommissioned Officer Professional Enhancement Seminar, Travis AFB, California

2015 Associate degree in Human Resources Management and Personnel Administration, Community College of the Air Force

2017 Master of Arts degree in Organizational Leadership, Brandman University

2017 Senior Enlisted Joint Professional Military Education I and II, by correspondence

2017 Professional Manager Certificate, Community College of the Air Force

2018 Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy, Maxwell AFB-Gunter Annex, Alabama

2018 U.S. Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Academy, Petaluma, California

2018 Superintendent Course, Travis AFB, California

2018 Principles of Instruction Course, Travis AFB, California

2019 Community College of the Air Force Advisor Course, Maxwell AFB-Gunter Annex, Alabama

2019 Basic Instructor Course, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland AFB, Texas

2020 Chief Leadership Course, Maxwell AFB-Gunter Annex, Alabama

2020 U.S. Navy Senior Enlisted Academy, Naval Station Newport, Rhode Island

2020 Negotiation and Dispute Resolution Course, Maxwell AFB, Alabama

2021 Master Resilience Trainer Course, Robins AFB, Georgia

2022 Bachelor of Arts degree in Foreign Language in Spanish, Thomas Edison State College

2022 Master of Science degree in Defense and Strategic Studies, University of Texas El Paso

2023 Master of Science in Intelligence and Security Studies, Lebanon Valley College

Presently enrolled in a Graduate Certificate in Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction, Missouri State University

Presently enrolled in a Master of Arts in Diplomacy and Military Studies, Hawai’i Pacific University

November 1986 – January 1987, Student, Basic Military Training, Ft Dix, New Jersey

February 1987 – May 1987, Student, Technical Training School, Ft Huachuca, Arizona

June 1987 – June 1988, Imagery Analyst, 3rd Military Intelligence Battalion, Camp Humphreys, Korea

July 1988 – September 1988, Student, Department of Defense Advanced Imagery Analysis Course, Goodfellow AFB, Texas

October 1988 – November 1991, Imagery Analyst/Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge, III Corps Intelligence Cell, Ft Hood, Texas

April 1998 – August 2002, Reserve Special Agent, Detachment 303 (AFOSI), Travis AFB, California

November 2009 – November 2011, Base Education and Training Specialist, 349th Force Support Squadron, Travis AFB, California

December 2011 – February 2013, Training Section Chief, 349th Force Support Squadron, Travis AFB, California

March 2013 – February 2014, First Sergeant, 349th Force Support Squadron, Travis AFB, California

March 2014 – January 2015, First Sergeant, 349th Memorial Affairs Squadron, Travis AFB, California

February 2015 – January 2018, First Sergeant, 45th Aerial Port Squadron, Travis AFB, California (May 2017 – July 2017, Training Manager, 571st Mobility Support Advisory Squadron, Travis AFB, California)

February 2018 – June 2021, First Sergeant, 349th Maintenance Squadron, Travis AFB, California (August 2019 – November 2019, Group First Sergeant, 405th Air Expeditionary Group, Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan) (December 2019 – May 2020, First Sergeant, 314th Training Squadron, Defense Language Institute/Presidio of Monterey, California)

July 2021 – October 2022, Superintendent, Operations, Plans, Readiness & Exercises, HQ USINDOPACOM, Camp H.M. Smith, Hawai’i (July 2022 – September 2022, Superintendent, International Affairs Specialist Reserve Programs, Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force, Pentagon/Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington DC)

November 2022 – Present, Superintendent, Center for Character and Leadership Development, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado (January 2023 – July 2023, Global Peacekeeping Operations Initiative Program Manager, USSOUTHCOM, U.S. Embassy Montevideo)

Air Force Meritorious Medal with two oak leaf clusters

Joint Service Commendation Medal

Air Force Commendation Medal

Army Commendation Medal

Joint Service Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster

Air Force Achievement Medal

Army Achievement Medal