Charlotte Student Selected As A Cyber Operations Officer For U.S. Space Force
By PHILLIP BROWN
Walter Kirkland Jr. has been selected to be a member of the U.S. Space Force, America’s newest military branch, where he will be at the forefront of the final frontier. Preparing to join the Space Force, established in December 2019, is exciting for Kirkland, as a 49er undertaking this critical job to protect the nation’s access to space. A computer science major, he’s training for his future role as a cyber operations officer.
“Cybersecurity is the modernization of the traditional dichotomy of offense and defense used in military strategy,” said Kirkland. “As a cyber operations officer, I will be part of Delta 6, the Space Force unit charged with protecting the telemetry and connections to our network of satellites.
“Advancements in computers and communication systems enable us to utilize so many vital services that we now rely upon, such as GPS for directions, smartphones, banking and a host of others. Threat actors and adversaries are at work trying to gain access to our satellite systems to either degrade and slow them down or steal important information. It’s critical we remain vigilant to protect them.”
With his focus on computer science and concentration in cyber security, Kirkland is a member of CyberCorps: Scholarship for Service as well as the University’s Air Force ROTC detachment. The Niner warrior is one of only 125 cadets nationwide chosen for highly selective U.S. Space Force service, which is under the leadership of the secretary of the Air Force.
“Space Force recruits the best of the best, and I’m eager to be part of its mission and culture. As a relatively new branch of the military, it is a tight-knit unit of less than 10,000 active-duty members, so it’s designed to be effective and agile,” said Kirkland.
Kirkland, a graduate of Village Christian Academy in Fayetteville, North Carolina, credits his parents, Walter Sr. and Christy, for helping guide his ambitions. The elder Kirklands, U.S. Army veterans who met while stationed in South Korea, were living at Fort Campbell Kentucky when Walter Jr. was born. He says he has the distinction of “being born in two places at once,” as his birth certificate was issued by the state of Tennessee due to the Army base’s proximity to the state line.
Walter’s father retired after 21 years of Army service, and his mother completed more than six years of service in the Army. Prior to assignment with Fort Liberty (previously Fort Bragg) in 2015, the Kirklands were stationed at the Army base in Ansbach, Germany. Walter Jr. recalled playing with toy Army soldiers to create various battle scenarios that took up half his mother’s living room floor for his “tans and greens.” His love of computers and strategy didn’t just start as an 11-year-old. At age 6, this first of three siblings completed an entire mission in the video game “Command & Conquer” by himself. A love for strategy, computers and operation was born.
Following his parents’ path into military service as a member of Charlotte’s Air Force ROTC detachment fulfilled Kirkland’s desire to be part of a close-knit, mission-driven organization.