Veterans Day: Steven St. John

What branch of the military did you serve in, and for how long?

I served 22 years in the Air Force and Space Force, started as an enlisted member, and finished as a Major.

What were your duties?I was a Satellite Operator, an Electronic Warfare Operator, a GNSS and SATCOM Aggressor, a Nuclear ICBM Officer, an Intelligence Analyst, and various held leadership positions.

What inspired you to join the military?

I wanted to serve my country and be part of missions that mattered. The chance to work worth amazing people and at the cutting edge of space, intelligence, and electronic warfare kept me motivated to stay. 

What does Veterans Day mean to you personally?

It’s a day to honor the people I served with and the sacrifices they made. For me, it’s also about carrying forward the lessons of teamwork and resilience.

What drew you to Safran?

I knew Safran’s products from my time as an Aggressor on the buying side, and I saw firsthand how they could close real gaps for operators. I wanted to help bridge the gap between technology and warfighters, especially in replicating realistic NAVWAR threats.

What skills or values from your service do you apply in your role here?

I bring real‑world experience as an EW operator in conflict, creating GNSS‑denied environments and training joint forces how to operate through the effects, and an in-depth understanding how threats apply to our systems. I served in the Special Operations community, which is part of our end-user customer base, and I was the go‑to person for troubleshooting SOF systems in GNSS‑denied environments. I also bring credibility and relationships in the operational community that help connect Safran’s technology to real user needs.

In your opinion, what do Veterans bring to the workplace?

Veterans bring perspective from operating in tough, high‑stakes environments. We know how to adapt quickly, work as a team, and keep the mission in focus. We also bring instant rapport with our end-users because we walked in their shoes.

What’s a memorable experience from your time in service?

Flying out to the USS Ronald Reagan at sea, getting hooked, living onboard for five days, training sailors on GNSS and SATCOM jamming before their deployment and being catapulted off the carrier afterward…I’ll never forget how amazing it was to see the “lightbulb” come on when they understood the threat and how to mitigate it. Also, briefing the Secretary of the Air Force in his office on how our TTPs held up against real threats and feeling the passion he had for the lowest level warfighters.

What’s your proudest accomplishment — either in or out of uniform?

Building the Digital Threat Portal. I saw a serious gap, had almost no resources, and still found a way to deliver a capability to thousands of warfighters in just months and at no cost to the government. We had a great team that rallied around each other and the mission to get it out the door.

One of our “Safran Together” values is Succeeding Together. How do you embody this in your role?

I focus on connecting technology with operators, making sure their voices shape what we deliver so they come home safe. Success is never about one person, it’s about making the whole team, and ultimately the warfighter, stronger.