Army launches direct commissioning program for civilian cybersecurity experts

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Not sure this will work out how they think it will.

Army launches direct commissioning program for civilian cybersecurity experts

By COREY DICKSTEIN | STARS AND STRIPES Published: December 5, 2017

WASHINGTON — The Army has approved a program to recruit experienced cybersecurity experts directly into the service as cyber officers in an attempt to bolster a growing field that military leaders see as vital to national security.

U.S. Army Cyber Command will directly commission five civilians in the coming months, aiming to bring its first batch of officers into military training by February, said Lt. Gen. Paul Nakasone, the Army’s Cyber Command chief. The pilot program, approved by the Pentagon and Congress, seeks to bring in five new officers each year for five years.

“It’s an ability for us to go after some of the most technical and adept talent out there that would like to serve our nation,” Nakasone told reporters Tuesday at the Pentagon. “What we are looking for is someone who has experience, who has operated within cyberspace, who has the drive and the dedication … and has the inclination that they want to serve the nation.”

The candidates the Army is hoping to attract should have at least a bachelor’s degree and real-world experience in computer science or similar fields such as data science or industrial control systems, said Nakasone and Maj. Gen. Patricia Frost, the service’s cyber director for operations and planning. Candidates should be skilled in teamwork and innovative thinkers who are prepared to help the Army shape its defensive and offensive cyber operations for years.

“So it’s, what are you bringing that’s a new idea to gain us the advantage in the cyberspace domain?” Frost said.

Earlier this year, the Army began developing the pilot program based on other direct-commission programs for medical doctors, lawyers and chaplains, which place experts in those fields into the Army at a rank that is commensurate with their experience in the civilian workforce. However, at least initially, candidates chosen to directly commission into the service will start their Army career as second lieutenants. In other fields, the services have allowed direct commissions at ranks as high as colonel. Nakasone said that could change as the Army examines its processes during the pilot program.

Candidates seeking to apply to the program can do so on the Army’s recruiting website, goarmy.com. The requirements for consideration include U.S. citizenship, a four-year college degree, the ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance and the ability to meet Army physical fitness standards, Nakasone said. Applicants must be younger than 41 years of age.

Individuals selected for the pilot program will spend six weeks in the direct commission course at Fort Sill in Oklahoma and then attend the 12-week Cyber Basic Officer Leader Course at Fort Gordon in Georgia. Most cyber officers will be stationed either at Fort Gordon or Fort Meade in Maryland, Nakasone said.

Direct commissioning will allow candidates chosen to forgo the Army’s 10-week Basic Combat Training Course, receive an expedited security clearance and expedited promotion to first lieutenant. It also guarantees placement as a cyber officer, whereas recruits who commission through other routes, such as Officer Candidate School or ROTC, cannot be guaranteed a slot within the cyber corps, Nakasone said.

The Marine Corps, Air Force and Navy will offer similar pilot programs in the cyber field, officials said. The pilot programs all follow on former Defense Secretary Ash Carter’s 2016 commitment that the Pentagon would broaden its direct commission program, seeking to attract leaders with proven track records in the private sector, especially in fields – like cybersecurity – with a need for rapid improvement. Congress has given the Pentagon through 2020 to study the potential of expanding direct commissioning programs.

The Army is looking at incentives that it could offer people interested in the program, Nakasone said, but the biggest attraction for people interested should be uniformed service in a critical field.

“Every single day you’re going to go toe-to-toe with the best hackers in the world, and you are defending our nation,” he said. “Whether it’s against a nation-state or a non-nation-state actor or terrorists, if you want that opportunity come join us … to go against the best in the world, because you won’t do that necessarily in another place.”

dickstein.corey@stripes.com
Twitter: @CDicksteinDC

Army launches direct commissioning program for civilian cybersecurity experts
 
Even with a commission, I doubt they can compete with the salaries in the private sector to attract the people they need.

In the Navy they attach big $ bonuses, prime duty stations, other perks that don't necessarily translate. I will be curious to see how it goes.
 
Agree. The military won't get the top guys. It'll get the 2nd and 3rd teamers.

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It depends. Some guys want money, and that's all they want, and those guys won't go. If you buy the "higher purpose" or "national security" line or the "patriotism" bit, those guys will bite. And if you tell people, "we can't offer you top-dollar, but we can pay for you to live in fill-in-the-blank," or "we'll pay for grad school," those guys will bite.

My wife has a good friend, lives near Ft. Mead, Maryland. Her husband is an O5 in the AF (stationed at the Pentagon), a cyber-something-or-other geek. Civilian headhunters are after him, offer him twice, three times what he makes, but he loves the Air Force. Same reason doctors and nurses retire from the military.
 
They're commissioning as 2LTs. The only 'advantage' they're getting over ROTC cadets is skipping all those PMS courses. I don't think this is exactly a game changer - just a way for Cyber to fill their quotas without competing with other branches. Being a 2LT in a cyber unit seems like it would suck but, I would think the same thing about finance so rock on if that's what you want to do.
 
It’s a good idea. Keep in mind that cyber is not synonymous with hacking. Sure some guys definitely do that but not everybody does. It’s like the Army and the Special Forces. Every Green Beret is in the Army but not everyone in the Army is a Green Beret.

There are lots of cyber jobs and officers, in most specialties honestly, are manager-leaders and not executors. The most hireable guys are going to be programers and software developers. I don’t see these officers doing a ton of that, if at all.

Additionally Google can drown you in cash to defend their networks but you can’t conduct offensive cyber there. You can only do that with the government.
 
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It’s a good idea. Keep in mind that cyber is not synonymous with hacking. Sure some guys definitely do that but not everybody does. It’s like the Army and the Special Forces. Every Green Beret is in the Army but not everyone in the Army is a Green Beret.

There are lots of cyber jobs and officers, in most specialties honestly, are manager-leaders and not executors. The most hireable guys are going to be programers and software developers. I don’t see these officers doing a ton of that, if at all.

Additionally Google can drown you in cash to defend their networks but you can’t conduct offensive cyber there. You can only do that with the government.


Hi, I'm from the Government and I'm here to hack, um, help...
 
I was speaking to an IT security guy the other day who was over for the white hat conference. One interesting aspect that I think is overlooked is that, working for the government in that capacity is the scrutiny on your life in getting the clearance and the restrictions once you're working. I'm not saying the restrictions aren't reasonable- usually they are- but it does put off a lot of people since it's a small community and people generally know each other and talk about work opportunities.
 
In the wake of the ongoing Facebook stock price debacle, I'm reminded of this article about allowing more people to directly commission into the highest ranks of the military (because Zuckerberg is often used as the "expert" example). I thought it was a bad idea when it was proposed, I think it's a bad idea now.

"There is only one way to learn military culture, start at the bottom and work your way up. Direct enlistment or commissioning to senior grades denies the individual that processes of development while at the same time expects them to handle leadership duties. This is not a recipe for success. If all the Sec Def wants to do is attract talent by having a larger starting salary, the specialist and warrant system is the way to go without screwing up the system."
 
@Marauder06 , you think it's feasible to being them in at W3 or W4? Because anything less than that isn't going to be competitive. I do not disagree with anything in the article. Some of the most effed up organizations in the military are MTFs, run by "I'm really a doctor and not really a major" (quote from MASH), but there needs to be some balance between having competitive money and not screwing over the military. I also think a non-com specialist program is a non-starter for this particular group.
 
Why put them in uniform at all? We have thousands of DA civilians and contractors who work for the Army every day. They can grow their hair out, do their jobs, and not supervise anything. It works just fine as it is.
 
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