Kristina Fonzi, an aviation enforcement agent, is the first Department of Homeland Security Federal Agent and interagency member to graduate from the Joint Special Operations Senior Enlisted Academy, according to officials at U.S. Special Operations Command.
Fonzi also served 10 years in the Navy as an electronic systems warfare operator.
"My favorite part of the course was the joint interagency, intergovernmental and multinational curriculum," Fonzi said. "I learned so much about my own organization as well as Department of Defense and the State Department and how they interact. I am really going to take that part of the course back with me and apply what I have learned."
The course is broken up into two phases, a 26-week online portion and a nine-week in-residence portion including topics on joint operations and senior-noncommissioned leadership principles.
"My organization, ultimately DHS and its components, were created for the purpose of bringing the different departments together in order to never let another 9/11 happen again," Fonzi said. "Now I know that all of us ultimately have the same goals, to keep our nation, its people and interests safe. We all have our part and just as I have a tremendous amount of respect for what SOF does, I hope to think that they also see what I'm doing and we can find ways to work together to be more successful."
"Agent Fonzi is the first interagency member to graduate from our course and she is a real milestone for us," said William Howell, director of distance learning, Joint Special Operations Senior Enlisted Academy. "Now our goal is to build upon her achievement and get four interagency students per course."
