Posted on Aug 8, 2015
Can anyone explain why 17C - Cyber Operations Specialist - is listed as 'combat arms?'
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17C: Cyber Operations Specialist
Cyber
Combat Arms
Posted >1 y ago
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What I understand is that as of right now, no one can order a cyber attack except the President. That is because we can consider it an act of war and it can have lasting effects. Imagine what happens to an ICU ward when the power is intentionally interrupted, or what happens to global markets when stock indexes go out of whack.
We have become so ingrained in technology that total disruption of the telecommunications infrastructure could cripple a nation for a long time. Just as effective as bombing the power facilities but with a lot less collateral damage.
Also, by considering it as such (maneuver, fires and effects, etc.) it gets more attention. In Signal, we tried to sell Signal as a Weapon System or Fight the Network but that never took off. We are just told to 'quit speaking geek and make it work' or 'we don't care about AR 25-1 or 2, I need my Facebook, Pandora, iPhone, etc. to kill bad guys'.
We have become so ingrained in technology that total disruption of the telecommunications infrastructure could cripple a nation for a long time. Just as effective as bombing the power facilities but with a lot less collateral damage.
Also, by considering it as such (maneuver, fires and effects, etc.) it gets more attention. In Signal, we tried to sell Signal as a Weapon System or Fight the Network but that never took off. We are just told to 'quit speaking geek and make it work' or 'we don't care about AR 25-1 or 2, I need my Facebook, Pandora, iPhone, etc. to kill bad guys'.
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CW5 (Join to see)
I now have to revisit my comment since things have changed. SECDEF now can control Cyber and we do now consider the Network as a weapon system in the multi-domain battle.
We're getting better.
We're getting better.
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It is considered combat because it is still warfare. You may not be on the front lines physically but can you imagine the consequences if our electric goes down or our water. The effects would be disastrous.
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SGT William Howell
It is important and is a combat multiplier. You deploy to the combat zone and attack the enemy. If you do your job poorly people may die. I have just described about half non combat rolls in the army including my MP Corps. Still not buying how it is a combat arms.
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LTC (Join to see)
Absolutely Sergeant Howell. 3-90 still defines "Combat Arms". Hasn't changed as far as I can tell during the 34+ years I've been serving. There are the big four, plus Combat Aviation, Combat Engineer, and Special Ops are in their own class.
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SSG Daniel Poulin (Retired)
on the point of whether or not 17C is combat arms, I really don't think it matters, and I don't care, frankly. Cyber is in it's own league, and that I do know.
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SGT (Join to see)
SSG Daniel Poulin (Retired) - in the past 2 decades, sigint/cyber are responsible for removing more bad guys from the battle field than all the others combined. That trend will only continue.
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