Photo By Spc. Brooke Kentler | Indiana National Guardsman Spc. Hayden Montgomery, assigned to the 137th Cyber...... read more read more
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LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – When Spc. Hayden Montgomery first joined the Indiana Army National Guard; he never imagined a career in cybersecurity. Now, as a member of the 137th Cyber Security Company, he is sharpening his technical expertise at Cyber Shield 2026 alongside cyber professionals from across the nation.
Cyber Shield is an annual exercise that began in 2013 and brings together cyber professionals from across the U.S. military, government industries, and international partner organizations to train against realistic cyber threats in a collaborative environment.
Montgomery, who joined the Army for educational benefits, said his military career introduced him to an entirely new field set in the cyber world. As a Cyber Operations Specialist, he spent more than a year in training before arriving at his unit, where his practical knowledge and confidence began to grow.
"I joined and knew not a single thing about computers," Montgomery said. “I’ve pretty much had exponential growth since I've joined, and I still have room to grow.”
Although Cyber Shield 2026 is not Montgomery's first cyber exercise, it represents another opportunity to expand his technical skills while working alongside experienced cyber professionals in a realistic training environment.
Montgomery said the experience gained through Cyber Shield is unlike any other training opportunity available. Working alongside experienced cyber professionals allows Soldiers to sharpen their practical abilities while responding to realistic cyber incidents in a collaborative environment.
"It's probably the best experience you can have without actually being in the real-world environment," Montgomery said.
This year's additional training has reinforced Montgomery's belief that Cyber Shield offers valuable experiences beyond classroom instruction. Working alongside experienced teammates and tackling realistic cyber scenarios gives Soldiers the opportunity to apply specialized knowledge in ways that prepare them for future missions.
"I'm being put in a new, more technical role than I was in the previous exercises, and the training is very intricate, and it's pretty cool stuff," Montgomery said.
Montgomery said one of his biggest goals during this Cyber Shield exercise is to continue developing both his understanding of cybersecurity expertise and his ability to work effectively as part of a cyber team.
Cyber Shield is another step in a career defined by continuous learning. By building upon the knowledge he has gained through military training and previous cyber exercises, he continues to develop the skills needed to support future cyber missions while growing as both a Soldier and cybersecurity professional. -30-
| Date Taken: | 07.13.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 07.16.2026 17:40 |
| Story ID: | 570080 |
| Location: | LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS, US |
| Web Views: | 75 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Indiana Soldier Builds Skills at Cyber Shield 2026, by SPC Brooke Kentler, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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