TSgt Aeren "Koko" Kakumu, U.S. Air Force

TSgt Aeren "Koko" Kakumu has built a career defined by excellence, leadership, and impact in the U.S. Air Force. A distinguished graduate of both Basic Military Training and Intelligence Technical Training, Aeren quickly rose through the ranks, earning early promotions and top-tier performance ratings at every step.

As a Korean Linguist and NCOIC of the Cryptologic Language Analysis Team, Aeren played a critical role in delivering time-sensitive intelligence to decision-makers, leading to his hand-selection for a Mission Center Target Development Team. His expertise and leadership extended beyond intelligence—he was a highly sought-after mentor for Unit Deployment Managers (UDMs) and was promoted to Deputy Readiness NCOIC at the Wing level, proving his strategic thinking and operational excellence.

Beyond his primary duties, Aeren is deeply committed to improving quality of life for Airmen and Guardians. Recognizing a critical need at his overseas base, he founded a private organization focused on education, community building, and local charity efforts, earning him the Wing Volunteer of the Year award.
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His passion for improving outcomes for everyone at work has made a lasting impact. As he puts it:
"Hate is often the loudest emotion in the room, and at times it is difficult to see if you are making any positive change at all. But the moments when someone tells you that your work made them or a family member feel safer, or inspired them to embrace their true selves—those moments of warmth stick with you far more than the pushback and hate."
You can read more of Koko's story in 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘝𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘳 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘝𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘕𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘔𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘚𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦!

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