VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – From Juarez, Mexico, to the Kentucky Army National Guard, Staff Sgt. Daniel Jarillo-Gutierrez, an information technology specialist, can translate into three languages: English, Spanish and cyber.
Working alongside cyber team members from the Ecuadorian Air Force, Navy, and Army, Jarillo-Gutierrez serves as an interpreter and exercise participant for Cyber Shield 2025, which takes place from May 30 to June 13.
His skills in the cyber field and his native language, Spanish, have enabled him to work continuously with Ecuadorians during the past few years.
“Communication is key,” Jarillo-Gutierrez said. “Cyber is its own language, so having English and Spanish with cyber has been beneficial for me as I understand all of it.”
Since 1996, the Kentucky National Guard has partnered with the Ecuadorian military through the Department of Defense’s National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program (SPP) to lead numerous joint training exercises, collaborative projects, and cultural exchanges, thereby enhancing the skills and understanding of both parties. Jarillo-Gutierrez so far has participated in several cyber exercises across the United States and Latin America, including in Ecuador. He believes it is important to keep a continuous relationship.
“I’m able to build that relationship with our state partners, so I like to join and volunteer,” Jarillo-Gutierrez said. “It helps keep the continuity because they see my face, they know who I am and they are a lot more open to talk.”
Jarillo-Gutierrez came to the United States as a young child. His father had a military career and worked in the information technology field, contributing to Jarillo-Gutierrez’ decision to enlist in the Kentucky Army National Guard on Aug. 14, 2015.
“Communications and computers were getting really popular, so I wanted to see myself go into a career that I could grow in, and that is futuristic,” Jarillo-Gutierrez said.
Commander Patricio Villalba with the Ecuadorian Navy is participating in Cyber Shield 2025 to learn about tools for cyber security and cyber defense. His last exercise experience was in San Antonio, Texas, and this will be his first time participating with Cyber Shield in Virginia.
“It is important for us to work together because we share the same problem, same adversaries, and we can help each other with these issues,” Villalba said. “With our experience and knowledge, we can win to solve these cybersecurity problems.”
This year’s Cyber Shield exercise invited more than 900 Soldiers, Airmen, Sailors, Guardians and civilian experts from around the world. In addition to the diverse representation from states and territories, 15 countries within the State Partnership Program came together to share best practices and create a unified approach to defending against cyber threats.