[1] Cubero's father was a United States Air Force officer of Mexican-American descent and her mother of Puerto Rican ancestry.

Her father was a very influential factor in her life and she decided to follow in his footsteps and apply for admission to the United States Air Force Academy.

Despite the fact that she ranked 25/485 students in her high school class and that she was a member of the National Honor Society, her guidance counselors told her that she “wasn’t good enough” to make it into the USAFA.

Graduates of the four-year program receive a Bachelor of Science degree and most are commissioned as second lieutenants in the United States Air Force.

In 1982, Cubero was the recipient of a Joint Service Commendation Medal for her work with the Pentagon's intelligence task force assigned to the Falkland Island conflict.