John Yasha Kida

Hephzibah High School

Class of 1975

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John Yasha Kida - Class of 1975 - Hephzibah High School

First Name	John Yasha
Last Name	Kida
Graduation Year	Class of 1975
Gender	Male
Current Location	Augusta, GA
Hometown	South Augusta
Relationship Status	Married
About Me	Want to reach me directly? Note use: "JHKIDA at Comcast dot Net". For those that remember me. I left HHS on Oct. 19th 1974 after being placed in, "After School detention" yet again. It was clear I was going nowhere given the group I semi-hung out with and the reputation I had acquired. So I purchased a 90-day Trailways Wonders Bus ticket and decided to travel the USA. From Shreveport, La, I called the HHS office and told them and I wouldn't be back for the rest of the year. I then went sightseeing, traveling the USA on Trailways buses. Yep, they likely had a fit in the HHS Office. Either way, after roaming a few dozen states, I eventually ended up in Fresno, Ca. Where I worked a lot of no nothing jobs, just to get by, while waiting to turn 18 in Nov. of that year. Finally, having turned 18, I used the California High School drop out program, took an entrance exam and started Fresno City College in Feb. 1974. There I took a handful of 099 classes and passed them. Then took and passed 5x 100 level classes, with a 3.2/4.0. I then applied and was accepted at Augusta College in 1975. So I caught a bus back to Augusta and started classes there. I volunteered with the Bell Ringer Staff for the fun it involved. There I met again the woman I would marry for the rest of my life for the 2nd time. I had originally met her at the Drew's Fair at Roses on Peach Ord. Rd. about 4 years previously. We married 5 months later and went on to raise 3 brilliant kids and 7 grand-kids. My son made DeKalb County GA. Fireman of the Year for 202, and my youngest daughter is HR Director for 1 of Ga's largest HVAC company's out of Atlanta. From 1980 to 1995, I continued my college education by attending Night classes at Phillips College. Where access to the HP Mainframe computer system allowed me to acquire "Gray-Hat" ITSEC and programming skills. These skills resulted in me being hired as 3rd shift Lead systems operations and administrator for First Financial Mgt. Corp. Corp (FFMC) computer center. Where I handled the computer operations for GA. Railroad Bank and 24 other banks systems from the Board St. location. As an early adopter of the Computer Social Media Revolution, as an operator of the Augusta Bulletin Board System called “Swamp Buzzard” and later part of Fido-Net 360 & 151 node sites from 1979-1996. I set up and ran the CSRA's 1st Buy It On Line site back in 1985 hosted by the Forum-80 BBS Site in North Augusta. I worked a collection of IT jobs, while attending Ga. Military College, to get my Associates in Data Processing degree in 1986. Working as a TRADOC technical writer and instructor, teaching IBM Main Frame computer operations and later AN-GSC-52 Satellite operations on Ft. Gordon. There, an IT headhunter spotted me, and I was contracted by EAI and was put to work at Security Operations Training Facility (SFOD-D aka US Army Delta Force) at Ft. Bragg, JSOC at Pope AFB and Seymour Johnson AFB handling the KC-130 Flight Simulator. Where I worked for 4 years in a DOD classified role as an IT equipment and IT communication services support contractor, for whoever won the DOD 8a set-aside contract. I have been awarded the DOD medal for Civilian Services and numerous Letters of Commendation for my classified Semi-Civilian/Semi-DOD work in, mission and systems support, during Operation Just Cause, and Desert Storm. Having lost a few close working buddies due to military related issues and now the father of 3 and wife that also almost died on me while I was “doing DOD things”. I submitted my 30-day notice and accepted a safer position with NCI at Scott AFB, managing the Internet Security for US TRANSCOM J3-J4 Communications. There I applied my ITSEC skills, which resulted in my systems being only 1 of only 7 sites worldwide to successfully detect, defeat General O'Berry's Operation White Cap Exercise team, out of 100+ Military sites worldwide. After 18 months, like many in my field I said the heck with this year to year 24/7 Alert stuff, very low pay for the industry, the constantly looking for the next US Federal DOD contract and went finally went Internet. Being a very early adopter of Computer Security, having unique, highly in demand Network and System Gray-Hat skills. I was called on to travel most of the US, Mid to Eastern Canada, and Western Europe conducting IT Security Services and providing training. My clients consisted of Fortune 10+ companies, Start-up ISP's, State and Federal agencies, the Royal Canadian Mount Police (RCMP), and various 3 and 4 letter US Government agencies located in an around, and under the Washington DC. area. Over my career, I have acquired a handful of computer, and IT related certifications for various expertise levels. Which included: Sun Microsystems, IBM, INTEL-31#AP, various flavors of Windoz, Unix & BSD, UNIX Admin, Electronics and System Repair down to the chip level, programming & Cisco Bay Networks configuration certs, Firewall Design and Administration, IT Security System & Site Assessments, and I am certified in Digital Evidence Collection and site ITSEC Digital Forensics. Summary: Here I am 50+ years later. The guy who, in early life, was considered most likely go to jail, and die before 20. Lucky to have straightened out my life, found GOD, and accomplished more than many have dreamed of. Either way, my HHS early roaming buddies are no longer alive, and those that wished me dead have passed away, due to their failure to change their lifestyle reasons. My younger brother, Augusta's Left Handed Guitar player, Edmond "The Lurch" Kida passed due to cancer. There are so few of us early 1970's HHS left to share our lives, memories and times with. So to those that knew me, I wis...(read more)
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