Reflection 1: The First 50 Hours at CNRFC
Alexander L. Trevino
Spring 2026 CYSE 368 Internships in Cybersecurity
Professor Teresa Duvall
TA Joshua Russell
Commander, Navy Reserve Forces Command
February 8, 2026

I work at Commander, Navy Reserve Forces Command (CNRFC), which is near the top of the Navy Reserve chain and supports oversight of all Navy Reserve Centers and Navy Reserve Component Commands beneath it. Because of that, our IT shop helps manage broad, enterprise level IT issues that impact multiple commands across the Reserve force.
For my internship, I am working as an IT intern under LT Christopher Gregory. His training approach has been hands on and structured. Instead of assigning me one narrow task, he has me shadow the IT team to learn how the shop supports the command from end to end with daily check-ins. The goals are to understand daily operations, expected standards, how issues are tracked, and how security and accountability requirements influence decisions. I am learning both the technical steps and the reasons behind them, including customer service, documentation, risk management, and proper escalation.
I started in the Customer Support Center (CSC), which is the front line for most user issues. The CSC handles help desk tickets and ensures problems are documented, tracked, and resolved in an organized way. LT Gregory created a Power App that supports the ticketing process by capturing requests, assigning ownership, and tracking status from open to close. I learned how tickets are categorized and prioritized, how timelines and follow ups are managed, and when an issue should be escalated to the appropriate technician. I also saw how accurate ticket notes help with continuity when a problem gets handed off, and how good documentation helps identify trends and recurring issues across the command.

While working in CSC, I learned about common ticket issues for service members and civilians, especially Outlook and email access. I assisted with login issues, send and receive problems, and synchronization errors by verifying account settings, confirming proper profiles, and checking connectivity and authentication. I also helped resolve Common Access Card (CAC) related problems, including CAC certificate issues that blocked access to email, websites, and other required systems. In addition, I learned how to reconnect, map, and troubleshoot printers and scanners by verifying device selection, checking connectivity, and ensuring drivers were correct. More importantly, I learned how to determine whether an issue was user related, device related, or network related. I also assisted with general day to day IT issues such as basic workstation troubleshooting, verifying connections, and resolving access problems so users could regain functionality quickly. Throughout all of this, I learned that communication matters because users may be stressed or frustrated, so it is important to stay calm, ask the right questions, and keep documentation accurate and complete.
Overall, this internship at Commander, Navy Reserve Forces Command has strengthened my understanding of how enterprise level IT support contributes to mission readiness across the Navy Reserve. By working under LT Gregory and starting in the CSC, I have built a foundation in ticketing processes, Outlook and CAC troubleshooting, printer and scanner support, and routine workstation issue resolution, while developing the documentation and customer support habits needed in a large command environment.