#TeamMITRE Spotlight: Jerrica McCarty

For National Veterans and Military Family Month, we’re recognizing our employees who served—and sometimes continue to serve—in the U.S. Armed Forces. Meet Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jerrica McCarty.

Jerrica has served in the Army Reserves for over 14 years, including a year on active duty in Kuwait. She’s currently assigned to the 182nd Cyber Protection Team as part of the Army Reserve Cyber Protection Brigade out of Adelphi, Maryland.

With MITRE since 2023, she's one of the veterans comprising roughly 17% of our workforce. As a cyber operations lead in our national security sector, Jerrica says her military experience has been an asset to her work here.

“The work ethic, teamwork, and leadership skills I’ve acquired through my time in the service have been critical to my success at MITRE.”

We asked her to share some thoughts about her call to serve.

Q: What’s the most memorable experience you’ve had in uniform?

JM: My time in the service is filled with so many memorable experiences, it’s difficult to pick just one. But one moment that stands out would be attending my younger brother’s graduation from Warrant Officer Candidate School and welcoming him to the Warrant Officer cohort. Becoming a Cyber Warrant Officer was a significant moment in my own career, and I knew my brother had also worked diligently to become an aviator. It meant a lot to be able to attend in person to celebrate such an accomplishment.

Q: In what ways do your service in the reserves and your career at MITRE complement each other?

JM: I specialize in cyber in both my reserve capacity as well as my role within MITRE. My previous work and Army experience has informed me of the importance of security practices and appropriate cyber planning. I believe I have a well-rounded perspective of how to improve processes and implement new systems and strategies to benefit federal and other organizations.

Q: Across your years of service, what’s the most surprising thing you’ve learned about yourself?

JM: To my surprise, I’ve found it’s the opportunity to mentor and develop junior soldiers that I value the most. As I progress through my career, I often reflect on the leaders that took the time to guide and mentor me—and I strive to one day be that leader for other soldiers.