Senior Master Sergeant da Camara Canto is the Individual Mobilization Augmentee to the Senior Enlisted Leader for the Center for Character and Leadership Development (CCLD), U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA), Colo. 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 Academy. Additionally, he serves as an Enlisted Academic Faculty Instructor at the CCLD and has also taught at the Languages and Cultures department. He recently was competitively selected to fill a Foreign Area Officer vacancy with the Theater Security Cooperation and International Affairs Division (A5I), U.S. Air Forces Southern Command.

Senior Master 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 various states and South Korea. He deployed to a Counter-Terrorism Expeditionary Group, in support of operations Freedom’s Sentinel and Resolute Support. He also backfilled key vacancies with the Air Force second largest foreign language training unit, located in the multi-service Defense Language Institute at the Presidio of Monterey; the International Affairs Specialist Reserve Programs, Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force; and the U.S. Embassy in Montevideo, Uruguay, to advance the U.S. Southern Command’s largest approved Global Peacekeeping and Defense Security Cooperation Agency operations and initiatives program (GPOI), and the Integrated Country Team Strategy. Prior to assuming his current position, he served as the Superintendent for Operations, Plans, Readiness & Exercises (J113), Headquarters U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Camp H.M. Smith, Hawai’i.

Graduate Certificate in Transnational Organized Crime Studies, John Jay College of Criminal Justice (Pending admission)

Graduate Certificate in Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction, Missouri State University (2024-Present)

Superintendent’s Leader of Character Certificate, U.S. Air Force Academy (2025)

Graduate Certificate in Intelligence, Lebanon Valley College (2025)

Master of Arts degree in Diplomacy and Military Studies, Hawai’i Pacific University (2024)

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

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

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

Master Resilience Trainer Course, Robins AFB, Georgia (2021)

Negotiation and Dispute Resolution Course, Maxwell AFB, Alabama (2020)

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

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

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

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

Principles of Instruction Course, Travis AFB, California (2018)

Superintendent Course, Travis AFB, California (2018)

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

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

Professional Manager Certificate, Community College of the Air Force (2017)

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

Master of Arts degree in Organizational Leadership, Brandman University (2017)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy, by correspondence (2013)

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

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

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

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

Noncommissioned Officer Academy, by correspondence (1998)

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

Individual Mobilization Augmentee to the Senior Enlisted Leader, 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; May 2025 – November 2025, IMA to the A5I, Theater Security Cooperation and International Affairs Division, U.S. Air Forces Southern Command, Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona) (November 2022 – Present)

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) (July 2021 – October 2022)

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) (February 2018 – June 2021)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Joint Meritorious Unit Award

Wing First Sergeant of the Year (twice)

Air Force Reserve Command E-8/E-9 Key Personnel List (twice)

U.S. Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Academy Spirit of the Chief Award Recipient

U.S. Navy Senior Enlisted Academy Dean’s List