Brandon Karpf: A sailor of the 21st century. [Transitioning service member] [Career Notes]

Summary

CyberWire Daily - Episode Summary: Brandon Karpf: A Sailor of the 21st Century

Release Date: June 1, 2025

In this insightful episode of CyberWire Daily, host Brandon Karpf shares his personal journey from a Naval Academy recruit to a Cyberwar Skillbridge Fellow, offering listeners a compelling look into the evolving role of military personnel in the cybersecurity landscape. Through his narrative, Karpf highlights the intersection of traditional military values and modern technological warfare, providing valuable perspectives for both service members and cybersecurity professionals.

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Early Inspirations and Military Commitment

Brandon Karpf begins by recounting his motivation to join the military, deeply rooted in the events of September 11, 2001. Hailing from New Jersey, the tragic loss of his classmate's father in the World Trade Center profoundly impacted his community and ignited his desire to serve.

"Remembering turning to my dad that night and saying, 'We have to do something. And what I'm gonna do is I'm gonna join the military.'"
— Brandon Karpf [01:45]

Karpf's dedication was also influenced by his grandfather, a World War II Army Infantry Officer, whose stories of the South Pacific campaigns instilled in him a strong sense of duty and service.

Naval Academy Journey and Career Path

Karpf discusses his admission to the Naval Academy, emphasizing the challenges and rigorous selection process. His athletic background, particularly in rowing, played a pivotal role in securing his appointment.

"I had my appointment to the Naval Academy because I'd been recruited to the heavyweight rowing team."
— Brandon Karpf [04:20]

Initially aspiring to join the explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) special warfare community, Karpf's plans shifted following an ankle injury. A pivotal conversation with a naval cryptologist advisor redirected him toward cryptologic warfare, a field he initially knew little about but grew passionate for.

"It's funny that you think you have a choice or that you ever did have a choice. You were always gonna go be a cryptologist."
— Brandon Karpf [05:55]

Academic Pursuits and Cyber Command

Commissioned as a Cryptologic Warfare Officer, Karpf was selected to attend MIT for a graduate degree—a rare opportunity that highlighted the Navy's commitment to integrating advanced academic training with military expertise. His time at MIT contrasted sharply with the structured environment of the Naval Academy, fostering a sense of intellectual freedom and innovation.

"MIT is as unique an institution as the Naval Academy is, except entirely on the other side of the spectrum."
— Brandon Karpf [06:35]

At MIT, Karpf was encouraged to pursue his interests, laying the groundwork for his future roles at the NSA and Cyber Command. His work during the 2018 midterm elections at the NSA is a standout experience, where he felt a profound sense of purpose in defending national security.

"It felt like I was doing what 8-year-old Brandon wanted to do, which was defend our country."
— Brandon Karpf [08:15]

Transitioning to the Private Sector

As Karpf approaches the end of his active duty, he reflects on the challenges of transitioning to the private sector. He acknowledges the anxiety and depression that can accompany such a significant life change but emphasizes the importance of self-identity beyond military service.

"I realized through this transition that [the anxiety and depression] is not who I am. That's not my identity."
— Brandon Karpf [09:50]

Karpf identifies his strengths in small, dynamic teams—a hallmark of both his experiences at the NSA and Cyber Command—and expresses enthusiasm for the cybersecurity startup culture, likening it to his most fulfilling professional environments.

"The startup culture, at least in successful startups like the CyberWire, that is the culture."
— Brandon Karpf [10:30]

Looking Ahead: Goals and Aspirations

In concluding his narrative, Karpf outlines his aspirations in the private cybersecurity sector. He is eager to contribute to mission-oriented teams that are passionate about securing the digital world against adversaries. Additionally, he emphasizes the importance of balancing professional pursuits with personal life, aiming to enjoy quality time with his wife while making meaningful contributions to the cybersecurity community.

"Professionally, I'm really excited about this tech cybersecurity domain, especially in the private sector. I think it's important. It feels incredibly mission-oriented."
— Brandon Karpf [11:00]

Karpf's journey underscores the evolving nature of military careers in the digital age, highlighting the critical role that cybersecurity professionals play in national and global security. His story serves as an inspiration for those navigating similar transitions, illustrating the value of adaptability, continuous learning, and maintaining a strong sense of identity.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• "Remembering turning to my dad that night and saying, 'We have to do something. And what I'm gonna do is I'm gonna join the military.'" — Brandon Karpf [01:45]

• "I had my appointment to the Naval Academy because I'd been recruited to the heavyweight rowing team." — Brandon Karpf [04:20]

• "It's funny that you think you have a choice or that you ever did have a choice. You were always gonna go be a cryptologist." — Brandon Karpf [05:55]

• "MIT is as unique an institution as the Naval Academy is, except entirely on the other side of the spectrum." — Brandon Karpf [06:35]

• "It felt like I was doing what 8-year-old Brandon wanted to do, which was defend our country." — Brandon Karpf [08:15]

• "I realized through this transition that [the anxiety and depression] is not who I am. That's not my identity." — Brandon Karpf [09:50]

• "The startup culture, at least in successful startups like the CyberWire, that is the culture." — Brandon Karpf [10:30]

• "Professionally, I'm really excited about this tech cybersecurity domain, especially in the private sector. I think it's important. It feels incredibly mission-oriented." — Brandon Karpf [11:00]

Conclusion

Brandon Karpf's episode on CyberWire Daily paints a vivid picture of a modern military career intricately linked with cybersecurity advancements. His transition from a traditional naval officer to a cybersecurity enthusiast encapsulates the broader shifts within defense sectors adapting to digital threats. Listeners gain not only an understanding of Karpf's personal experiences but also insights into the future of military and cybersecurity careers.

Transcript

[Brandon Karpf]

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[Brandon Karpf]

Hello, my name is Brandon Karpf. I am a lieutenant in the U.S. navy and currently the Skillbridge Fellow at the cyberwar. From a young age, knew I wanted to join the military. I remember my first thought of joining the military on 9 11. Being from New Jersey, the events of that day hit my community pretty hard. I had a classmate whose father was killed in one of the towers. And remember turning to my dad that night and saying, we have to do something. And what I'm gonna do is I'm gonna join the military. My grandfather served in World War II. He was an army infantry officer in the South Pacific. He spent the entire war doing the island hopping campaign under MacArthur. Growing up, I was his only grandson and I got a lot of the war stories. He instilled in me that sense of service. Getting to the Naval Academy is not necessarily the easiest thing, but I knew I wanted to serve. My dad knew about the academies. He took me around to all of the various academies. As soon as I stepped foot in Annapolis, Maryland, with the water and the blue skies and the gold gilded dome of the Naval Academy chapel and all the midshipmen in their whites, I knew that this was the place for me. I played sports, was on the crew team throughout high school. So even before I started my senior year, in fact, a week before I started my senior year of high school, I had my appointment to the Naval Academy because I'd been recruited to the heavyweight rowing Team. I just didn't really know what I wanted to do in the military. Originally I thought I wanted to be in explosive ordnance disposal, one of the special warfare communities. After some serious injuries that I had at the academy that that wasn't in the cards. And one of my advisors was a naval cryptologist. And I remember him bringing me in and I was lamenting the fact that I had just gotten ankle surgery after fracturing my ankle and wasn't gonna be able to go do explosive ordinance disposal. And he kinda laughs at me and he looks and says, it's funny that you think you have a choice or that you ever did have a choice. You were always gonna go be a cryptologist. And I look at him having no idea what cryptology is and I say, what's that? And he had just come off a tour at NSA and he said, I can't really tell you, but it is very cool. As a 21 year old, all you want to hear is you're going to go do something really cool. So I was sold. I did end up commissioning into the Naval cryptologic field as a cryptologic warfare officer. They sent me to MIT to get a graduate degree, which was totally unique and not a normal thing, but this was right after cybercom stood up and they knew that we wanted to bring in academia and research and the hard sciences of computer science. And so they sent me up to MIT basically to be a civilian for two years and just go to school and learn from the best. MIT is as unique an institution as the Naval Academy is, except entirely on the other side of the spectrum. So the Naval Academy is strict and rigid and structured. MIT is the absence of rigidity. It is open, it is interesting and exciting and dynamic. And my research advisor, my first meeting with him and he was paying for the whole experience for me and I said, what do you want me to do? And he looks at me and goes, what do you want to do? Because this is your time. Take it and enjoy it. When working at the NSA and when working at Cyber Command as a active duty member of the Navy, in which there is a constant tension between maritime Navy, traditional Navy leadership and career paths and your role and your job at NSA and Cyber Command, when I was working that mission at nsa, it was fulfilling. The most impactful moment of that is I was there during the 2018 midterm elections and there's been quite a bit in the news about what we accomplished during that time. And that felt good. It felt like I was doing what 8 year old Brandon wanted to do which was defend our country. I would say my heart was in being a sailor of the 21st century, which was not a sailor on ships. I was still leading sailors, and my sailors were not sailors that would ever deploy on ships, but I was still expected to do so and at some point. And as I learned the cyber operations path and the cyber operations skills, it pulled me away from the traditional sailor mindset. Part of this transition from active duty into the private sector was going within myself and figuring out what excites me, what motivates me, what do I like about what I do and what do I not like about what I do. For me, that was working in a small team at Cyber Command and working in a small team at nsa. Those experiences that I had at NSA and Cyber Command helped me realize that that's the environment I feel most comfortable in. And it's hard and it's stressful and it's not easy, but it's also the most fulfilling because you get to grow and you get to learn and you get to be someone who is constantly expanding what they think is possible of themselves. And to me, the startup culture, at least in successful startups like the cyberwire, that is the culture. Everything from 8 to 18 was to get me to the military. And then I did it and I got there and I was almost like a dog that caught their tail. I didn't know what to do with it once I had it, and I did some great stuff and I enjoyed it and I had fun and I learned a lot. I like to say that they made me a better citizen. The Navy made me a better husband, a better leader, a better engineer and human being. It is hard for me to. To accept the fact that that stage of my life is ending and I'm moving on to the next stage that causes anxiety. I've had moments where I wake up in the middle of the night having an anxiety attack. I've had moments of deep depression where I have had to go to a therapist and seek help. What I realized through this transition is that is not who I am. That's not my identity. I worked as a naval officer, but that is not who Brandon is. And being comfortable with myself, being comfortable with, just like mit, the lack of structure, the lack of rigidity, the fact that there are a myriad of paths, none of which have a defined left to right boundary, none of which have a defined end or start. Being comfortable in that environment is very important. And it took me a long time to get there, but I did get there. A big part of this next stage of life is I want to enjoy my time with my wife, do fun things together. Professionally. I'm really excited about this tech cybersecurity domain, especially in the private sector. I think it's important. It feels incredibly mission oriented. The people are fun and fascinating. I want to be a member of that community. It's not just an industry. Everyone is passionate and driven towards securing the world against the bad guys. And I'm really excited to be a part of that. And I just want to contribute. I want to be a member. I want to help make that community as strong as it possibly can be.

[Dave]

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