From an Air Force combat pilot into the loving arms of the helpful hacker community and ultimately co-founding the Aerospace village, “Spanky” has found common cause and common purpose with this motley crew and community… From an intern and Cavalry Force of Nature organizing the first Congressional Delegation to Hacker Summer Camp, Ayan is now serving in the White House Office of National Cyber Director (ONCD). These journeys and pathways both run through the mission of I am the Cavalry, the Aerospace Village, and culminated in intense collaboration in the CISA COVID Taskforce. Part of the strength of this decade of making the world a safer place draws from the diversity of skills and experiences. Our differences have made us stronger and we have asked these two to reflect on their origin stories and different teammates and skills that have helped to protect the public.