Retired Rear Adm. Mark Montgomery, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and senior director of the Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation, and Columbia University’s Erica Lonergan recommend the establishment of a new military service in the U.S. armed forces that would be dedicated to conducting cyber warfare.
Montgomery and Lonergan said in a study FDD released Monday that the standing up of a U.S. Cyber Force would address a critical issue undermining the military’s cyber capabilities: talent recruitment and development.
According to the two authors, recruitment and training of cyber talent is done independently by the U.S. Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps, resulting in varying levels of qualification and a mismatch between a recruit’s skillset and the requirements of the job at the U.S. Cyber Command, which is currently responsible for offensive and defense cyber operations.
Also, because each military branch prioritizes its own warfare domain — land, air or sea — cyber skills are not properly assessed or developed, resulting in personnel not advancing or not staying in the cyber track.
For Montgomery and Lonergan, a U.S. Cyber Force would bring about a singular approach to cyber talent recruitment, development and retention. It would also ensure that the skills one possesses aligns with mission needs.
Because the new military branch would be focused on cyber, it would also be able to prioritize the acquisition of mission-relevant equipment, which would not have to compete with aircraft, ships and other materiel.
The two authors note that a U.S. Cyber Force could start out with a headcount of 10,000, although the number may grow over time.
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