Col Sarah Cleveland

Commander, 709th Support Group

Colonel Sarah U. Cleveland is the Commander, 709th Support Group, Air Force Technical Applications Center (AFTAC), Patrick Air Force Base, Fla. She leads a 440-person group responsible for providing cyber operations, agile software maintenance, configuration management, logistics, supply, central repair, remote sensor maintenance, personnel, facility, emergency management and postal support for the more than 1,000 Airmen assigned to the center. The group also operates and sustains the U.S. Atomic Energy Detection System, enabling AFTAC’s global treaty monitoring mission to support high-level national and Department of Defense agency customers.

Colonel Cleveland earned her commission from the Reserve Officer Training Corps at the University of Minnesota. She made Joint history as the first Director of Special Operations Cultural Support Teams in Afghanistan. She led 34 women serving as Special Operations enablers in more than 700 combat patrols throughout all sectors of Afghanistan. She was also the Director of Command, Control, Communications and Computers (C4) and Cyber for the Joint Task Force National Capital Region – United States Military District of Washington, Washington D.C. Where she was responsible for providing communications to the Joint Task Force in the conduct of homeland defense and civil support operations in the National Capital Region.

Colonel Cleveland’s operational experience includes supporting combat Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, Unified Response, and training Colombian and Polish Special Operations Forces.