CHARLESTON, W.Va. –
The West Virginia Air National Guard’s Capt. Kyle Hunter is approaching 18 years in uniform and proudly looks back on his wide span of experience.
“I have been Active Duty and a Guard Member, enlisted and officer, deployed and stateside, served with the Army, stationed at one of the coldest places in the world (Grand Forks, North Dakota) and one of hottest (Qatar and United Arab Emirates),” said Hunter, a maintenance officer in command of the 167th Airlift Wing’s Maintenance Operations Flight. “I have been blessed to work with great people who are professional and extremely passionate about what they do, but also care deeply about each other.
Hunter joined the military because he wanted to serve a cause greater than himself and contribute to the nation’s defense. He’s been able to realize his desires several times including when, as a staff sergeant, he supported crowd control at the first inauguration of President Barack Obama. Hunter was also part of the Wing’s 2018 deployment to southwest Asia and Africa, making significant contributions to real world missions and the Afghanistan Retrograde.
“Our unit supports global missions that are key to the security of our nation and national defense,” Hunter said. “Without aircraft maintenance we could not fly and accomplish these very important missions.”
Unsurprisingly, his civilian career is as varied and passionate as his military.
Hunter currently resides in Winchester, Virginia, and has been an analyst for the Dept. of Justice for almost 12 years. He specializes in cyber security, open source, and training, putting his Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Master of Art in Business Management and Leadership to work.
As proud as he is of his past, Hunter also has eyes on the future. He said he wants to continue serving his unit and community proudly. He invests in real estate as a side interest, with a goal of building a real estate business that provides quality housing for low income and those in need.
Hunter enjoys spending time with his wife, SheRae, and their five kids Zechariah (12), Mikah (9), Zoë (6), Xara (4) and Tempe (born October 2023).
“At age two my only son, Zech, was diagnosed with autism,” Hunter said, explaining that they’ve had many ups and downs. There are visits to therapists and doctors alongside tears and happiness at seeing him grow with the struggles that come with a disability where a lot is still unknown.
“This has made us more loving, caring, patient, and resilient parents,” Hunter said. “I credit God, my wife, and my Guard family for providing me with the flexibility to still have a thriving military career while raising a child with a disability.”
“I have served at five other bases that are National Guard and active while both deployed and in the United States. The 167th Airlift Wing is the best unit I have ever worked in,” Hunter said. “The people are great to work with and it is a very close-knit unit with a family feel.”