Cedrick Ward

San Diego, CA · Active TS/SCI Clearance

Cedrick Lee Ward

Senior Network & Systems Engineer

Fifteen years building and securing resilient infrastructure for the Department of Defense — now engineering classified RDT&E networks at NIWC Pacific across Cisco, Palo Alto, and HPE Aruba, from enterprise data centers to austere deployed environments.

  • Cisco, Aruba & Palo Alto
  • Routing, switching & segmentation
  • Zero-Trust & network access control
  • Virtualization & hybrid cloud
  • STIG / ACAS compliance
  • Infrastructure leadership
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15+
Years in enterprise IT & secure infrastructure
20
Years of military service (SFC / E-7)
5
Overseas deployments & missions
TS/SCI
Active security clearance

About

Professional Summary

Senior Network Engineer with 15+ years across secure DoD network infrastructure, virtualization, and hybrid cloud — currently engineering classified RDT&E environments for NIWC Pacific.

Skilled in Cisco, Palo Alto, and HPE Aruba networking alongside Nutanix and VMware vSphere virtualization, with a strong focus on building resilient, high-availability systems in classified and austere conditions. Proficient in Layer 2/3 architecture, OSPF and BGP routing, Zero-Trust segmentation, and complex migrations across NIPR/SIPR, RDT&E, and enterprise networks.

Twenty years of military service (SFC / E-7, 25B4O) with proven leadership in deployed and austere environments — Iraq, Afghanistan, Jordan, Kuwait, and Fort Gordon. Active TS/SCI clearance. Dedicated to mission success through technical excellence and rapid adaptation to new technologies.

Career

Experience

  1. Aug 2026 – Present

    RDT&E / SRDT&E

    Senior Network Engineer

    Information Systems Solutions (ISS) — NIWC Pacific, Point Loma

    • Provide engineering and day-to-day operational support for the physical RDT&E and SECRET RDT&E network environments at Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific.
    • Design and implement VLAN architectures, network segmentation, Layer 2/3 switching, IP addressing, and routing across classified and unclassified enclaves.
    • Prototype, install, and maintain HPE Aruba and Palo Alto routing, distribution, firewall, and boundary infrastructure — including firmware upgrades and STIG compliance.
    • Configure and troubleshoot OSPF, BGP, and IPsec tunneling; implement Network Access Control and Zero-Trust dynamic segmentation via Aruba ClearPass and 802.1X.
    • Maintain multi-cloud connectivity to AWS and Azure — IP space, VLANs, route tables, VPCs, and virtual/peering gateways — with performance monitoring in inMON Traffic Sentinel and Zabbix.
    • Translate customer capability requirements into network architecture and implementation, and support on-call outage response for the RDT&E environment.

  2. May 2006 – Present

    20 yrs of service

    Communications Section Chief

    U.S. Army Reserve

    • Lead communications readiness and technical operations for a 200+ Soldier organization across training and mission environments.
    • Manage and mentor personnel responsible for enterprise IT, communications support, operational metrics, and readiness reporting.
    • Brief commanders and staff on infrastructure readiness, operational risk, and mission capability.

  3. May 2025 – May 2026

    Deployment

    Network Operations Manager

    U.S. Army Reserve — Fort Gordon, GA

    • Supported Fort Gordon network operations across enterprise L2/L3 infrastructure — Cisco routing, switching, VLANs, OSPF, and LAN/WAN connectivity across NIPR/SIPR network segments.
    • Troubleshot and maintained route/switch and firewall connectivity — ACLs, NAT, VPN paths, and boundary access issues — sustaining secure network availability across assigned DoD infrastructure.
    • Coordinated with NEC/RNEC and technical teams on change control, network monitoring, STIG/ACAS remediation, documentation, and mission continuity across enterprise network environments.

  4. Sept 2021 – Apr 2025

    Mission-critical 24/7

    Network & Cloud Security Engineer

    ECS Federal LLC — U.S.N.S. Mercy Hospital Ship

    • Managed enterprise network infrastructure across NIPR/SIPR for a 24/7 shipboard medical facility supporting up to 1,200 personnel, with zero tolerance for downtime.
    • Maintained and optimized a Cisco environment: Catalyst 9600 core switches, ASA/Firepower NGFWs, voice routers, 50+ access points, WLCs, and virtual CUCM.
    • Deployed and administered Nutanix AOS/AHV clusters for virtualized workloads, including migration of services between physical and virtual environments.
    • Led infrastructure hardening with Tenable Nessus, ACAS, and RHEL Satellite; enforced STIG compliance and managed authentication via Cisco ACS/ISE across classified and unclassified networks.
    • Performed network monitoring, outage response, configuration support, and infrastructure documentation to maintain operational continuity and mission readiness.

  5. Jun 2020 – May 2021

    Deployment

    Network Operations Manager

    U.S. Army Reserve — Kuwait Deployment

    • Led migration of 600+ switches from Brocade to Cisco across classified and unclassified domains while maintaining continuous operations.
    • Supervised 15 contractors and 9 Soldiers operating and maintaining the Network Enterprise Center at Camp Arifjan.
    • Managed switching across secure hybrid environments and optimized traffic across complex routing paths under latency and bandwidth constraints.

  6. Sept 2018 – Dec 2018

    System Administrator

    Acara Solutions

    • Executed Linux workstation hardening for classified F-35 program requirements.
    • Installed and configured VMware/Hyper-V solutions and managed large Active Directory environments.
    • Conducted ACAS scans to support STIG and cybersecurity compliance.

  7. Jan 2018 – Apr 2018

    Windows Deployment Supervisor

    DXC Technology — Okinawa, Japan

    • Led a 20-person team across four DoD bases executing Windows 10 migration, user data recovery, and system restoration for 400 users.
    • Briefed DoD stakeholders and senior leadership, delivering modernization objectives ahead of schedule across classified and unclassified environments.

  8. Jun 2016 – Aug 2017

    Deployment

    Network Engineer

    U.S. Army Reserve — Jordan Deployment

    • Managed Cisco switching and Cisco Unified Communications Manager in an austere environment.
    • Used Nessus, ACAS, and SCAP tooling to identify vulnerabilities and harden systems to DIACAP and DISA STIG requirements.

  9. Apr 2015 – Jun 2016

    Systems Engineer

    NCI Information Systems

    • Remediated vulnerabilities across enterprise systems using SCCM, WSUS, policy updates, and scripting in secure environments supporting 300,000+ users and 600,000+ devices.

  10. Dec 2012 – Apr 2014

    Deployed support

    Linux Systems Engineer

    MEDWEB — Afghanistan

    • Supported 26 Integrated Healthcare Enterprise sites across multiple domains through remote and onsite technical support.
    • Managed and maintained 50+ Red Hat Enterprise Linux servers across Afghanistan and the U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons.
    • Trained clinicians and medical staff on radiologic software and hardware platforms.

  11. Dec 2011 – Jan 2013

    Deployment

    Network Administrator

    U.S. Army Reserve — Afghanistan Deployment

    • Oversaw the Composite Health Care System II and administered Active Directory, VoIP, and VTC services.
    • Managed hospital communications supporting 50+ joint forces personnel.
    • Administered the Medweb telemedicine platform — user accounts and system availability.

  12. Feb 2008 – Apr 2009

    Deployment

    Signal Support Technician

    U.S. Army Reserve — Iraq Deployment

    • Supported the MC4 medical network and served as liaison between DoD and vendor support teams.
    • Provisioned and managed NIPR/SIPR network accounts and maintained tactical radio communications.

Capabilities

Technical Skills

Networking
  • Cisco ASA
  • Cisco Firepower NGFW
  • Palo Alto NGFW
  • HPE Aruba
  • Cisco Catalyst
  • WLC
  • CUCM
  • Cisco ISE
  • Aruba ClearPass
  • 802.1X / NAC
  • DNS
  • VPN
  • IPsec
  • VLANs
  • Network Segmentation
  • STP
  • OSPF
  • BGP
  • EIGRP
  • QoS
  • LAN/WAN
  • Satellite & Edge Routing
  • Load Balancing
  • inMON Traffic Sentinel
  • Zabbix
Virtualization · Cloud · Infrastructure
  • VMware vSphere
  • Hyper-V
  • Nutanix AOS/AHV
  • Azure Arc
  • Azure Files
  • Azure VNet Peering
  • AWS VPC & Virtual Gateways
  • Entra ID
  • Hybrid Infrastructure
  • High-Availability Systems
  • Cloud-Managed On-Prem Assets
Cybersecurity · Compliance
  • STIG Compliance
  • Zero-Trust Architecture
  • Dynamic Segmentation
  • Tenable Nessus
  • ACAS
  • RHEL Hardening
  • Vulnerability Remediation
  • Classified / Unclassified Environments
  • NIPR/SIPR Operations
Systems · Automation
  • PowerShell
  • Windows Server
  • Linux / RHEL
  • Active Directory
  • SCCM
  • WSUS
  • System Migrations
Leadership
  • Team Leadership
  • Contractor Supervision
  • Technical Briefings
  • Infrastructure Readiness
  • Operational Risk Communication
  • Multi-Site Coordination
  • Deployed Operations

Credentials

Certifications

Verify any active credential directly with the issuing vendor.

CompTIA

Active

CompTIA SecurityX (CASP+)

Advanced security architecture & engineering · valid through Sep 2029

Verify with vendor →

Cisco

Planned

Cisco CCNP Service Provider (SPRI)

Additional / Readiness

American Red Cross

Active

First Aid / CPR / AED — Adult, Child & Baby

Valid through Jul 2028

Verify with vendor →

Academics

Education

  • B.S., Systems & Cloud AdministrationIn progress

    Western Governors University

    Expected 2026–2027

  • A.S., Applied Business

    Mountain View Community College

    2015 – 2017

Proof of Work

Independent Projects

Independently designed, built, deployed, and operated — evidence of systems thinking, security awareness, and end-to-end ownership beyond traditional employment.

plaintxt.app

End-to-end encrypted, anonymous-first messenger — realtime messaging, attachments, payments, and PWA install, built entirely on Cloudflare's edge.

  • Next.js
  • Cloudflare Workers
  • D1
  • Durable Objects
  • WebSockets
  • R2
  • Stripe
  • Web Crypto

certblueprint.com

IT certification study guides and roadmaps — an SEO content platform that helps candidates plan and pass CompTIA, Cisco, and cloud certifications.

  • Astro
  • Cloudflare Workers
  • SEO
  • Content design

errorlookup.com

Reference site for HTTP status codes and infrastructure errors — 200+ documented pages with causes, fixes, and troubleshooting steps for engineers.

  • Static HTML
  • SEO
  • Cloudflare Pages

satsaver.app

Bitcoin transaction-fee calculator with live fee-market data and guides, helping users time transactions and avoid overpaying network fees.

  • JavaScript
  • REST APIs
  • Cloudflare Pages

Résumé

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Contact

Get in Touch

Open to senior network engineering, systems engineering, and infrastructure roles. The fastest way to reach me is email or LinkedIn.

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  • Onsite
  • Hybrid
  • Remote
  • Relocation Possible
Email
[email protected]
LinkedIn
linkedin.com/in/noid
Location
San Diego, CA
Clearance
Active TS/SCI Clearance