The military will need to expand its force of cyber warriors beyond plans for 6,200 personnel, and the individual services are hammering out the manpower-related details of precisely how to build that force from the ground up, according to a new Pentagon report.
The emerging requirements have the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps developing an array of new recruiting tactics, extended service commitments, training programs, retention bonuses and unique career tracks for the cyber career field, says the report, a copy of which was obtained by Military Times.
The document outlines the service-specific efforts to meet U.S. Cyber Command's current requirement to stand up a "Cyber Mission Force" with 133 teams of cyberwarriors by the end of 2016. That's just the beginning for a career field that is likely to see dramatic growth despite budget cuts affecting most of the military.
"It is DoD's assessment that additional capability may be needed for both surge capacity for the [Cyber Mission Force] and to provide unique and specialized capabilities" that can contribute to a "whole-of-government" and "whole-of-nation" approach to securing U.S. cyberspace, the report says.
The report, titled "Mission Analysis for Cyber Operations," was quietly provided to Capitol Hill in early September. It was mandated by Congress last year amid concerns that preliminary plans did not sufficiently integrate the reserve components into the emerging cyber force.
The report says reservists should play an important role in that force, but stops short of offering precise details, stating: "It is too early to prescribe the appropriate mix."
Defense officials acknowledge that recruiting and retaining a cyber force is difficult because the private sector offers more money to individuals with those skills.
"Although some service members may receive higher pay in civilian cybersecurity jobs, the military cyberspace mission offers a distinct experience and unique opportunities for service members to continue to serve in the [reserve components] as they train and execute military cyberspace missions not executed in the private sector," the report says.
Recruiting a challenge
Recruiting a cyber force presents a challenge because it requires targeting people with a unique skill set. As a result, the services' recruiters are developing a "cybertest" "to assess military applicants' capabilities in computer and networking skills.
The Army is modeling part of its cyber recruitment and training efforts after its Special Forces model, the report says. It is also working with the U.S. Military Academy to identify soldiers who might have educational backgrounds well suited to a cyber career.
Many recruits to cyber career fields likely will have to sign extended service agreements, similar to those required for aviators and some nuclear jobs, because the positions require costly and ongoing training, the report says.
For example, it says the Navy is offering some enlistees with cyber backgrounds an automatic advancement to the E-4 paygrade if they agree to enlist for six years.
The report also suggests fast-tracking security clearance applications from prospective cyber experts to make sure that process — which can take a year — does not deter recruits or delay training.
CYBERCOM has helped create a 24-week training course, and is also developing joint standards and an "Individual Training and Equivalency Board" that will review packages from service members with existing cyber skills who might want a waiver from the required training regimen.
The services are planning to suspend some traditional career requirements for cyber specialists and allow them to serve in back-to-back cyber-related billets.
Cyber warriors also will probably need a sophisticated training environment that provides the same kind of practice that a shooting range offers for combat arms professionals, the report says.
Troops in the cyber career fields who want to leave active-duty service may be aggressively encouraged to join the reserves or become Defense Department civilians, part of an effort by the military to preserve its investment in training costs, the report said.
Andrew Tilghman is the executive editor for Military Times. He is a former Military Times Pentagon reporter and served as a Middle East correspondent for the Stars and Stripes. Before covering the military, he worked as a reporter for the Houston Chronicle in Texas, the Albany Times Union in New York and The Associated Press in Milwaukee.
