SSgt Cole Holt

Identification Technician

Western Air Defense Sector

1. What's your title and how long have you worked here?
I have been a part of this unit for going on 5 years. Born and raised in Washington.

6.      What do you find most challenging about the work you do here?
            
Being able to listen, observe and accurately make decisions literally up to the second. If I am not able to prioritize and manage multiple things at once, it could allow for certain aircraft to enter into the continental U.S. (CONUS) without appropriate approval, which in turn could be harmful to national security.

8.         Do you ever think about the impact your work has on Washington residents? How does that make you feel?

Being a service member for the state of Washington has allowed me to have a huge impact in my local community, where I was raised. It has also given me the opportunity to stay close to my family and friends that I have grown up with.  Serving for the state of Washington enables me to portray a positive image for the military and this great state simultaneously.

9.         Did you have any key mentors or people who deeply influenced who you are, what you believe in and what you're committed to in your work and life? Tell me about them.

The two main influences in my life were and currently still are my grandfather, James Nyberg, and my father, Robin Holt.  If I had to describe my grandfather I would tell you he was a stoic man, with true grit. He was a fighter, he fought ‘til his very last day.  He worked for 20+ years and retired from the Lewis County Road Department. I've learned so much from him, he was kind-hearted and always welcoming to everyone he met.  My father is the hardest working man I know. The words ‘give up’ are just not in his vocabulary. He is a self-made man and has worked for everything he has every wanted. That is the type of man I strive to be.  Both of these men raised me to be the man I am today.  Without them, I would just be another average individual.
 

10.       Do you have a favorite quote or mantra you live by?

"Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway." - John Wayne

11.       How do you recharge from a busy or stressful day?

I like to unwind from a long stretch of 12 hour shifts working on my restoration project, a 1976 Ford F-250 highboy. If not that, you can find me at a country concert.