FUTURES Magazine, an annual Department of Defense publication highlighting the lives of military service members, shadowed an Airman from the 505th Command and Control Wing headquartered on Hurlburt Field, Florida, on and off-duty over two days.

The magazine, which is distributed to high schools across the United States, chose to follow Tech. Sgt. Kyle Carpenter, an Air Force cyber warfare operations instructor with the 505th Training Squadron, to learn of his reasoning for joining the Air Force, his experience in the military, and the how he balances his personal and military life.

"The opportunity to inspire future generations of service members is truly breathtaking and leaves me amazed," remarked Carpenter. "The thought that I can answer questions someone is thinking like, 'Is this the right fit for me? What opportunities will the military give me? Can I see myself doing this?' I hope that my story connects with someone to serve our nation in today's military in a way that is right for them personally and professionally!"

FUTURES Magazine followed Carpenter as he led a class discussion about the latest cyber threats facing the digital world and how to defend against them.  Later, they watched as he taught an introductory-level cyber course discussing the defensive and offensive nature of cyber security.

"The importance of cyber Airmen in today's Air Force is an ever-growing need," according to Carpenter. "Space Force stood up and realized the competition within their respective warfighting domain, cyber is not too far behind. It is a phenomenal career choice for several reasons, the training you will get, the teamwork that will be experienced, the opportunities that are typically not available outside of the military, and the overall experience you will take with you when it’s time to hang up the uniform. As technology advances and devices become more networked, cyber will always be evolving. With that, the demand for cyber Airmen will constantly be on the rise!"

Carpenter took the three-person team from FUTURES Magazine around Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, during his off-duty time.  The team took photos of his son's Little League team that Carpenter coaches and finished the day with a family game night.

While an Air Force career and retirement may seem like a long time to many, it has sped by for Carpenter.  As he looks back over his career and considers all his training and accomplishments, his retirement eligibility date seems right around the corner.

 The magazine was recently published and featured the photos and interviews from the two days spent with Tech. Sgt. Carpenter.