UNC Charlotte senior in vanguard to a new frontier

TROY HULL | THE CHARLOTTE POST

UNC Charlotte senior Walter Kirkland Jr. is one of 120 people selected to serve in the Space Force, the United States’ new military branch. “Both of my parents were in the Army actually,” Kirkland said. “I actually wasn’t planning on joining the military, but I was able to receive a [college] scholarship. When your school is paid for, it is kind of hard not to choose that route.”

Walter Kirkland Jr. lives by the phrase “You can.”

Kirkland, a senior at UNC Charlotte, will join the Space Force, the United States’ newest military branch. As one of only 120 people selected, Kirkland feels honored as one of the few minorities picked. He hopes to show people they can achieve their goals.

“Not to sound cliche,” Kirkland said, “but, actually you can do it because I am doing it right now. I am doing it right now and hopefully pave a path for future generations and future African Americans to pursue this path. You can do it because there is a path there for you now.”

The Space Force, founded in 2019, is still in its developmental stages. When Kirkland heard about the opportunity to join, he felt it was worth pursuing.

“As a kid I found myself moving around a lot,” he said. “I was the new kid at school and having to make new friends and operate in new environments, all the time moving around. Space Force was right up my alley, and I knew I wanted to be a part of it. I wanted to be a guardian.”

Growing up in a military family, Kirkland’s parents encouraged him to join the Air Force as an officer. Over time he felt this would be a great route for him.

“Both of my parents were in the Army actually,” he said. “I actually wasn’t planning on joining the military, but I was able to receive a [college] scholarship. When your school is paid for, it is kind of hard not to choose that route.”

Kirkland, a computer science major at UNCC, will work in cybersecurity where his job is to protect U.S. networks from hackers. He doesn’t foresee himself going into outer space just yet — although he wouldn’t be opposed to it.

“I would definitely say there are more qualified people to go to space,” Kirkland said. “I doubt I’ll need to go to space but if the opportunity was there, I think it would be cool. I’d consider how much time it would take and stuff. But, primarily I'll be making sure our networks, satellites and infrastructure don’t get hacked and are secure.”

Major Matthew Lucas, who oversees cadet operations, feels that Kirkland’s leadership qualities sets him apart from his peers, and subsequently will help him thrive in his transition to the Space Force.

“You can really tell you have a good leader when you see the influence they have over those they are leading,” Lucas said. “You can tell the impact they have based on the response that their subordinates have. What I’ve seen in my time working with Walter is the cadets below him like working with him. They respond well to his mentorship. I’ve had several cadets awestruck with his character and demeanor, and how easy he is to approach and work with.”

While Kirkland is excited for what’s ahead, he admits there was some nervousness and hesitancy about joining the Space Force.

“The biggest thing was just how new it all was,” he said. “A lot of things aren’t fleshed out which means chances are I will be helping build and set the foundation of the Space Force. It is still being built, being grown and being developed. So, hesitancies have mostly just been about coming into this new environment and having to start from the ground up.”

When asked about the future, Kirkland smirked when he talked about being a captain.

“Say in 10 years’ time I will probably be a captain by then,” he said. “My last name is obviously Kirkland. So, I’ve got to be Captain Kirk. I’ve got to make that happen but I like to tell people that the sky's the limit. I definitely plan on staying with the Space Force for the long run.”

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