BUILDING ON EXPERIENCE
Outside of work, Sapna “Sona” Patil’s friends and colleagues know she’s passionate about building things. Woodworking in her spare time, she can craft anything from outdoor tables and chairs to jewelry stands and daybeds. At work, she’s also known as a dedi- cated builder, but of a different sort—building applications and sites for Project Manager (PM) Force Projection—designing the critical infrastructure used by Soldiers in the field.
“Tey [friends and colleagues] think I have the coolest job. One of our products is devel- oping bridges that can be carried from point to point and then be unfolded to help Soldiers to cross over waters. Without us, those things would never get to the field,” she said. “I am genuinely so proud of the work that we do by helping our Soldiers.”
SAPNA “SONA” PATIL
COMMAND/ORGANIZATION: Program Executive Office for Combat Support and Combat Service Support, Project Manager Force Projection
TITLE: Information technology specialist – SharePoint/Microsoft developer
YEARS OF SERVICE IN WORKFORCE: 2
DAWIA CERTIFICATIONS: Practitioner in engineering and technical management
EDUCATION: B.S. in chemistry, Mumbai University
As an information technology (IT) specialist, SharePoint administrator and Micro- soft developer for the Program Executive Office for Combat Support and Combat Service Support (PEO CS&CSS), Patil maintains, processes and troubleshoots computer systems. She is also a PowerApps and Power Automate developer responsible for analyz- ing, troubleshooting and evaluating technology issues and working behind the scenes on systems to ensure that design plans and projects become reality. It’s basically Patil’s job to ensure that all systems are running smoothly so that the Soldiers get what they need, when they need it.
“As a SharePoint developer, I create websites and applications based on the requirements and needs of our user/Soldiers. As part of the Army Acquisition Workforce there are so many different opportunities to learn, knowing that my efforts are supporting Soldiers and the Army,” she said.
After Patil’s previous IT job required that she relocate to Atlanta, she parted ways with the company and took some time to consider other opportunities. After a couple months and a desire to “get back out there,” she came across a SharePoint developer job opening at PEO CS&CSS. Te position was offered to her shortly after her interview.
Aside from being a great fit with her skills and experience, Patil said there were some additional reasons why she accepted the position. Te warm welcome that she received was a great first impression, and a good indication of what the work climate would be once she became more acclimated to her position. “Te people I met through this position were helpful and made me feel welcome,” she said. “Tey helped me with my onboarding, made sure I had lunch with them so I didn’t feel left out, and they showed me where Starbucks was located.” Patil said that was pretty key, considering Starbucks is her favorite coffee place. Another reason, she said, was because of her son, 1st Lt. Samir Patil, who had joined the Army as an infantry officer. She wanted to be in a related field where she would do her part for the Army, helping to enable Soldier readiness.
One of her first projects after joining the Army Acquisition Workforce was creating a site for an employee portal for CSS. Tis streamlining effort laid the groundwork
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Army AL&T Magazine
Fall 2024
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