Yuma — Some people can’t imagine working in the same place for their entire career, but Mireya Balcazar would not have wanted to be anywhere else than the Yuma Proving Ground for the past 39 years.

“I think I’m very patriotic. I’m not in the military, but I’m doing my part for the soldiers and I’m very proud of that,” said the Fire Operations and Training Division’s (ROTD) official. Program analyst Mr. Balcazar said. “I’ve always said, if it breaks, leave it here at the YPG, not the theater.”

Balcazar, then completing his degree in business from Arizona Western College, was hired by YPG in June 1984 as a clerk in the Engineering Department’s Planning and Services Department.

“I was excited. I knew this was where I wanted to go,” said Balcazar. “Once I got a job, I had to switch to night school to finish my degree.”

In fact, she started working for the YPG during her senior year at Yuma High School as part of a hands-on training program where she worked three hours a day in the housing department. Civil servants there even helped her prepare her resume and fill out the necessary paperwork to apply for the job she was eventually hired.

Throughout his career, Balcazar held various positions, including administrative assistant for the NAVSTAR Global Positioning System program, which was the tenant organization on the base until 1990, and range scheduler, where he spent many years there.

It was as a scheduler for training that Balcazar would eventually come under the helm of a new manager named Tim Simanski, who said he felt his potential was greater than his own.

“He gave me additional responsibilities and started pushing me to learn more and do more, and I did,” Balcazar said. “He really helped me feel more confident in myself.”

Then, a year ago, she assumed her current role as Program Analyst, working under the direction of Department Head Omar Silva. Silva credits her with taking on her additional duties which has made her more productive.

In his short time there, Mr. Balcazar has already completed major procurement work, established new workflows and processes, and has assumed the role of facility manager for ROTD, assisting with handover operations.

He also immersed himself in Power BI dashboards to track expenses for all departments and contributed to the development of the SharePoint site.

“Her do-it-yourself attitude and results-oriented work ethic set a high bar for her colleagues,” Silva said. “Her willingness to take on new challenges and her ability to execute them admirably make her a valuable member of the team.”

Despite changing jobs, Balcazar was able to remain in the firing squad he spent most of his career with, and developed a deep affection for.

“I love this group and have learned so much. This split is great because they are like my family,” Barcazar said. “It’s nice to be able to interact with more people and make new connections. I’m also more involved in what’s going on within the department.”

Balcazar now shares nearly 40 years of experience and also takes on leadership roles, helping his colleagues succeed by passing on what he has learned.

“I want to give back so that everyone can be successful and be the best they can be,” Balcazar said. “When I finally retire, I want to feel like I’ve accomplished something.”

Balcazar has undoubtedly achieved a lot during his time at the YPG, but there have been a number of accolades along the way, including twice joining the Golden Knights and being part of the workforce, including his stepfather Willie Hatcher. I made some good memories too.

“When I started working, my father-in-law had already worked here for several years,” Balcazar said. He worked in the control room for many years until his retirement. ”

She has also been a member of the Spanish Cultural Heritage Commission for 30 years. The group started when a few of her YPG committee members worked up the courage to learn the folklore dance and perform it at an event.

“It was fun,” said Balcazar.