Military Appreciation Profile: Denyse S. Gordon-Watts Helps Veterans Thrive After Military Service
NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESS Newswire / May 6, 2026 / Denyse S. Gordon-Watts turned to the military to help pay for her college education, but she intended to call the U.S. Air Force Reserve, not the active-duty recruiter she dialed by mistake.
"His name was Staff Sgt. Scott," she recalled. "He told me I could earn $900 a month and have my education paid for; I said, ‘say less.'"
Soon after, she left her native Brooklyn, New York for basic training in San Antonio, Texas. Today, she says dialing that wrong number was the best mistake of her life.
More than 13 years of active-duty service and 10 years in the Air Force Reserve, Gordon‑Watts was stationed around the world, deployed to Kuwait, and witnessed firsthand that service to one's country is about much more than uniforms and missions - it's about people, purpose, and the unshakeable commitment to something greater than oneself.
"I learned from both great and not‑so‑great commanders. All my experiences shaped the supervisor and senior non‑commissioned officer I became," said Gordon-Watts, who retired as a master sergeant and in 2012 became the inaugural winner of the Ms. Veteran America competition. "Air Force core values became part of my character, and I am proud to be an Air Force veteran."
As a senior manager on CACI's Veteran and Military Affairs team, Gordon-Watts now takes pride in helping her fellow veterans continue their mission at CACI, where veterans, military spouses, Reservists, and National Guard members make up nearly 40% of a global workforce of 27,000.
"I am their advocate as they navigate civilian employment. I have been in their shoes; when they meet me, they know that ‘she gets it,'" said Gordon-Watts, who joined CACI 19 years ago.
With the company's six decades of partnership with the military and government, Gordon-Watts has found that CACI is never a hard sell. The military community knows of and respects the company's ‘Ever Vigilant' pledge and are eager to take on its mission of expanding the limits of national security.
"CACI values veterans for our adaptability, leadership, and mission focus, and our support of veterans is real and substantive; it is not lip service," Gordon-Watts said.
The fateful wrong number call she made decades ago led to fulfilling military and post-military careers. With her role at CACI, Gordon-Watts is now opening doors for others, showing them that their post-military lives can be filled with purpose, opportunity, and a renewed sense of mission.
"Those who serve do so with purpose and without reservation," she said. "Being headstrong, determined, and mission‑focused - traits strengthened by the military - fuel my passion for serving the military community today."
CACI offers meaningful career opportunities supporting national security customers in fields closely aligned with military occupational specialties. Explore opportunities to continue your mission with CACI.
About CACI
CACI International Inc (NYSE:CACI) is a national security company with 27,000 talented employees who are Ever Vigilant in expanding the limits of national security. We ensure our customers' success by delivering differentiated technology and distinctive expertise to accelerate innovation, drive speed and efficiency, and rapidly anticipate and eliminate threats. Our culture drives our success and earns us recognition as a Fortune World's Most Admired Company. We are members of the Fortune 500™, the Russell 1000 Index, and the S&P MidCap 400 Index. For more information, visit us at caci.com.
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Denyse Gordon-Watts pictured during her active-duty service and in her continued mission as a CACI employee.
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SOURCE: CACI