Lieutenant Colonel Loreto Carrasco takes up her post as director of the Military School of Cyber Operations at the Joint Cyber Command

• The Commander of the Command, Vice-Admiral Javier Roca, has instructed the School to “stay one step ahead of the Armed Forces’ needs”

Lieutenant Colonel Loreto Carrasco Albadalejo of the Air and Space Force has taken up her post as Director of the Military School of Cyber Operations (EMCO) of the Joint Cyber Command (MCCE) at a ceremony presided over at Retamares Air Base by the Commander of the MCCE, Vice-Admiral Javier Roca.

During his speech, Vice-Admiral Roca praised Lieutenant-Colonel Carrasco’s suitability for the post, asking her to “envision a better Academy, one that anticipates the needs of our Armed Forces”, and urging her to ensure that “what is learnt in operations is fed back into the Academy, and that what is taught at the Academy makes us better in operations”:

In this regard, he urged Lieutenant-Colonel Carrasco to “achieve a genuine transformation”, for which “it is not enough simply to manage what already exists; rather, we must empower people who are capable of imagining what does not yet exist and daring to innovate”.

He has therefore called on him to make a threefold effort: “Never lose your passion, never lose your desire to serve with joy and, above all, never lose your ability to dream, because those who dream imagine the future, but good leaders also ensure that that future becomes a reality”.

The new director of the EMCO has stated, for her part, that she is taking over the leadership of the Military School of Cyber Operations “with immense pride, a sense of responsibility and a commitment to continuing to consolidate a pioneering project that is essential to our Armed Forces”.

He also emphasised that “cyberspace is evolving at a dizzying pace”, which is why the aim has been set to “ensure ongoing, rigorous and innovative training to tackle the challenges of the present and the future”.

To achieve this, he has encouraged the students “to always remain curious and eager to learn, as your knowledge will be the driving force behind our country’s defence”. For his part, he has pledged to exercise “leadership as an act of service, listening and trust in my team, so that every professional can give their very best”.

Lieutenant-Colonel Carrasco began her military career on 1 September 1994 after joining the 49th intake at the General Air Force Academy in San Javier. After being promoted to major at the Operations Directorate of the Joint Cyber Defence Command, she was promoted to lieutenant-colonel whilst heading the Management Information Technology Centre (CIGES).

In this role, he has overseen the roll-out of the RODAS communications network and CIS coverage for key exercises such as OCEAN SKY 2024, whilst balancing his work in corporate cybersecurity with an outstanding academic career following the award of his PhD from the Complutense University in 2024.