Area teen will be Space Force pioneer
By Matt Petras
For the MVI
Che Hill has joined the military, just like his step-father, Les Carpenter, and much of the family of his mother Tamica Carpenter, who describes herself as a “military brat.”
But he’s done it in a way that advances his interest in computers by focusing on cybersecurity and surveillance.
“I’ve always been a big fan of computers when I was younger,” Hill said. “Fourteen (years old), I built my first computer. I built a few of my friends’ computers. It’s something interesting, something I was able to get my head around that was pretty good.”
Now 19, Hill will make local history when he enlists as he will be the first Mon Valley resident to join the U.S. Space Force, a branch less than two years old that’s closely associated with the Air Force.
The Space Force was founded in December 2019 under former President Donald Trump.
Hill, who lives in Monessen, will be among a relatively small group; there are fewer than 5,000 members of the Space Force, a tiny portion of the 1.4 million Americans serving across the entire military.
Though it exists as its own branch, it’s an extension of work already being done by the Air Force, according to Technical Sergeant Andrew Kiczenski, who recruited Hill to the Space Force. The Space Force primarily maintains satellites in outer space that monitor Earth.
“At one point, the Air Force did have their own space command,” Kiczenski said. “Basically, all we did was take the space command and move it into the Space Force. We also backed it up with different computer careers, intelligence careers, stuff like that.”
Hill has always been interested in joining the military, even as a young child.
“I always thought it was cool,” he said. “I love this country and (am) big pro-military. And so I was like, I want to join for the brotherhood and how cool it is to be overseas fighting with other people.”
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