[austin-cheney]

I was called to perform a cyber security deployment in the US Army for a year from summer 2009-2010. I traveled across Afghanistan visiting various major US Army bases providing security assessments for the US Army's 1st IO Command. Active duty personnel were performing these missions in all areas that did not require family separation and used reservists for places like Iraq and Afghanistan.

The prior year I was involuntarily reassigned from a web design position to a front-end developer position at Travelocity. That year at Travelocity I was taking my first baby steps into programming, as required to retain employment, but did not really understand what I was doing. I learned use of basic functions and syntax. I learned much more trying to write original programs on my own in my down time in Afghanistan.

I suppose an excellent comparison to software architecture is public speaking or writing for publication. You know talent when you see it and it looks so incredibly simple when performed. The real challenge is attempting to communicate that simplicity in a meaningful way because not everybody is willing to consume the challenging material that allows for such talent. I don't claim to be talented, but I know what I have performed relative to other people. There are some people I can explain this to with immediate consumption. There are some people who are capable of listening to it, but find the effort required untenable. Then there are people who are not capable of consuming the material in any form.