Air Force cyber could be reorganized in coming months

SSgt Ryan Sylvester - would give it a clear CoC & easy integration into operability. And they could have a seat at the table when important defense issues are discussed, instead of possibly being relegated to a back chair in the corner waiting on teacher to call on them when they raise their hand.

It is possible to separate the support piece of cyber from the operational and have it operate at the federal government vs the DOD or individual services. OCO and DCO should still remain within the folds of the services. Toward that end, they can also be tasked to do tours within the "Federal enterprise" from a DCO perspective. But the CPTs, NMTs, CSTs, N-CPTs, deploy-able Comm, and the cyber intel capabilities associated with them should all remain military functions.

Maj Kevin "Mac" McLaughlin - There are definitely military-specific capabilities that need to be taken into consideration. Probably the best way to look at it would be to retune military cyber capabilities under one overarching joint command (rather than establishing a separate cyber branch) capable of handling all comms capabilities for all military installations, field personnel trained in specific needs areas (ie, Navy personnel handling shipboard comms, local facility techs, etc), a new federal agency for all federal-level enterprise functions, and orient the two entities appropriately. Military could provide cyberdefense operations across the federal government, since data is an asset that must be appropriately defended and loss of which causes degradation of national security.

The thing I'm looking at mainly is that we need to be moving toward streamlining cyberoperations. Retuning one entity isn't enough. We need to be moving toward full integration, as much as can be operationally allowed. Of course, that's probably just a pipedream.

Like I was trying to say, the IT support element of cyber operations (care and feeding of the network, maintenance, etc) can and should be centrally managed through a single Federal organization (to which each of the agencies either pony up people or money). The true operational piece like DCO, OCO, and Deployed Comm still requires the services to provide the organize, train, and equip aspects. In the end, they already answer to CyberCOM (which is becoming it's own unified COCOM) and in the case of our National infrastructure, we have Cyber National Mission Force - CNMF (under CyberCOM as well, but beyond the DODIN).

This, in many ways, is already becoming close to how we employ special operations capabilities. Each of the services organizes, trains, and equips their special ops personnel, and SOCOM has OPCON/TACON.

The only problem I see with what some of the services are doing, is refusing to separate the traditional comm personnel from the cyber ones. While they are related, cyber requires a more concentrated, expensive, and committed effort to mature the individuals.
if we keep putting them into the pipeline and then moving them out for traditional comm, we are wasting valuable resources. If we ever create a federal enterprise for each of the domains (NIPR, SIPR, JWICS, and then some), this could become a special duty assignment for them but only for career broadening. In the end there should be an AFSC/MOS for OCO, DCO, deployed comm, and cyber intelligence. Cross training should be available, but similar to how pilots do it (which is uncommon for a fighter pilot to become a bomber pilot).

Maj Kevin "Mac" McLaughlin thanks for the info, sir! I agree. I think this would best be under Space because of the comms, satellites, etc. It is a natural fit. I think it can grow to encompass a joint unit, and possibly even evolve into its own branch - a 5th domain, if you will?

SSgt (Join to see) - And I currently work for both the 24th and 25th they are not about to give up easily. You should have heard what they had to say about the new Space Command and merger of all things Cyber. Then there is the NGA they are real sure of themselves in the cyber war.

LCDR (Join to see) - until disaster strikes, they aren't going to realize they need to merge it all & become one big unstoppable monster in the field.

SSgt (Join to see) - Think all of cyber should merge under one command either Spectrum Warfare or Electromagnetic Maneuver Warfare. A joint command just like SOC with rotating command. All forces should encourage career field Warfighters geographically separated but seamlessly connected through web enable architecture to conduct both offensive and defensive use of the electromagnetic spectrum.

LCDR (Join to see) - exactly. It's the domain of the future and is needed, like, yesterday!