The Department of Defense is revising its cyber force generation model to give U.S. Cyber Command more control over recruitment and training as the Pentagon works to counter China in the cyber domain.
In a release Thursday, the Pentagon said the new model will be facilitated by three organizations and be based on seven “core attributes” that are expected to “build mastery, specialization, and agility in the cyber forces assigned to the United States Cyber Command.”
“This model will accelerate our efforts to build the leading cyber capabilities required to address acute and emerging cyber threats, and to deter escalating aggression in the cyber domain,” Anthony J. Tata, under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness, said in a statement. “Under the leadership of Secretary [Pete] Hegseth, the Department is acting swiftly to establish policy, implement programs, and execute a new approach to recruiting, developing, and retaining cyber talent, ensuring that we remain ready to achieve peace through strength.”
The attributes in question focus on building demand for cyber positions at the recruitment level by offering incentives and targeting specific roles at U.S. Cyber Command. Others focus on retention by creating “tailored and agile” training programs for specific operational needs.
The release also demands that recruits be presented with a fully functional tactical headquarters to ensure effectiveness.
The Pentagon listed three organizations that will facilitate the revised model: the Cyber Talent Management Organization, the Advanced Cyber Training and Education Center and the Cyber Innovation Warfare Center. The organizations will focus on targeted recruitment and the accelerated development of an “elite cyber force,” according to the release.
“The model fundamentally changes the Department’s approach to generating cyber forces, enabling increased lethality in our cyber forces and establishing a warrior ethos built on domain mastery, specialized skills, and mission agility,” said Katie Sutton, assistant secretary of defense for cyber policy and principal cyber adviser to the defense secretary.
The release did not reveal when the Pentagon expects the revised model to be implemented.
The announcement comes as the Defense Department tries desperately to modernize its cyber force in the face of mounting competition. The Pentagon had hoped that 2024’s strategic overhaul, “Cybercom 2.0,” would fix most complaints. But the plan reportedly did not give Cyber Command enough control over recruitment or training to make a dent.
• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.
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