Lee Kirby, Salute Co-Founder and retired Army Colonel, interviewed Anthony Gomez, a US Air Force Veteran and current Director of Operations for Salute.
Before we dig in, our readers would love to get to know you a bit. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood “backstory”?
I grew up in San Diego, California in a proud military family. My dad served in the United States Air Force during Vietnam, and my grandfather served in the Navy during World War II.
I grew up with three sisters, which taught me early on about responsibility, resilience, and how to communicate. Being the only boy in the house had its lessons.
Before I put on a uniform, I started working as a busser and then a waiter. Those early jobs taught me humility, customer service, and the value of earning your way. You learn quickly in the restaurant business that teamwork matters and that attitude can make or break an experience. Looking back, that was my first leadership training ground.
Eventually, following in my father’s footsteps felt natural. I joined the United States Air Force, not fully knowing where it would take me but knowing I wanted to serve something bigger than myself.
Can you tell us a bit about your military background?
During my 20 year career in the United States Air Force, where I retired as a Master Sergeant, I was fortunate to be stationed in locations that shaped both my professional and personal life. I was stationed in Las Vegas, where I met my awesome wife Kari, who is also a veteran. From there, my assignments took me to South Korea, Italy, North Dakota, Alaska, New Jersey, and Texas. Each location brought different missions, cultures, and leadership challenges that helped shape who I am today.
I started my career as an electrician, but our role was much bigger than just wiring. We were part of a team responsible for building, maintaining, and sustaining infrastructure across entire installations, sometimes supporting up to 2,000 facilities at a time. That meant everything from new construction and heavy repairs to emergency response and long term maintenance planning. It required technical precision, teamwork, and a constant focus on safety and reliability.
I also deployed six times in support of operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the United Arab Emirates. Those deployments tested resilience, strengthened teamwork, and reinforced the importance of staying mission focused while taking care of people. The combination of stateside leadership and overseas operational experience gave me perspective and maturity that continues to guide how I lead today.
What are you doing today?
Today, I serve as the Director of Operations for Salute, leading mission-critical operations within the data center industry. My focus is on building high-performing teams, strengthening operational readiness, and developing leaders who will carry the mission forward.
At this point in my career, leadership means more to me than titles or systems. It is about culture. It is about accountability. It is about leaving people better prepared than you found them.
Can you share an interesting experience from your military career? What lesson did you take from it?
One of the most defining moments of my career was deploying to Balad Air Base, Iraq in 2006. The base was often referred to as Mortaritaville because incoming mortars were common, sometimes multiple times a day.
After weeks of close calls, our team ran electrical infrastructure and wired up the first C RAM systems capable of protecting the base from incoming mortar fire. It was a powerful moment. We were using our electrical and construction skills not just to maintain infrastructure, but to actively protect lives.
That experience reinforced for me that no task is small when people depend on it. It taught me composure under pressure and the weight of responsibility that comes with leadership.
Did your military experience help prepare you for business and leadership? How?
In the military, I was responsible for executing multimillion dollar operations and maintenance budgets while supporting billions of dollars in infrastructure assets while leading teams up to 700 personnel. That level of accountability requires strategic thinking, disciplined risk management, and the ability to make decisions that balance mission requirements, resources, and people. Those experiences directly shape how I approach business and operations leadership today.
More importantly, the military taught me ownership. When something fails, you do not look for someone to blame. You step forward and fix it. When the mission succeeds, you recognize the team. That principle of accountability and shared success is the foundation of how I lead as a Director of Operations.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?
I am grateful for my father and grandfather for setting the example of service. Their legacy influenced the path I chose and the standards I hold myself to.
I am also thankful for the mentors throughout my Air Force career who pushed me to grow beyond what I thought was possible. They invested time in me and held me accountable, and I try to do the same for the leaders I develop today.
You are a part of the Salute Military Community that shares a common passion for helping veterans get into this industry. Why is this important to you?
Because I understand the transition from military to civilian life.
Veterans bring discipline, mission focus, and accountability. Sometimes they just need help translating that experience into the language of industry. This field aligns naturally with military training and mindset, especially in mission critical environments.
Helping veterans find opportunity and purpose in this industry is personal to me.
If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?
If I could inspire a movement, it would be around real mentorship. Not surface level check ins or performance reviews, but leaders actually taking responsibility for building people.
There were moments in my career when I doubted myself. The only reason I kept growing was because someone took the time to challenge me, correct me, and believe in me when I did not fully believe in myself. That changes you. It builds confidence in a way titles never can.
I have also seen the opposite. I have seen what happens when leaders protect their position instead of developing others. Growth stalls. Culture weakens.
For me, legacy is simple. It is not buildings, projects, or rank. It is whether the people you led are stronger, more confident, and more capable because you showed up consistently for them. If more leaders took that seriously, organizations and communities would look very different.