A Defense Department document outlines how each of the U.S. military branches plans to build up their cyber workforces as the Pentagon seeks to create cyber career tracks for those personnel, Military Times reported Tuesday.Andrew Tilghman writes that the “Mission Analysis for Cyber Operations” document, obtained by the newspaper, details ongoing efforts by the individual services to meet the U.S. Cyber Command‘s requirements for 133 teams of “cyberwarriors” to make up the Cyber Mission Force by the end of 2016.
The document says the military will need a cyber workforce of beyond the original 6,200 people that DoD planned, Tilghman reports.
“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,” the Pentagon report says, according to Tilghman.
Tilghman writes that the manpower requirement is intended to boost the military cyber career field amid budget cuts elsewhere in the forces.
“[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,” said the Pentagon report, which also details the potential role of the reserves.
Another challenge Tilghman notes is the recruitment of the cyber workforce, which the military seeks to address through a “cybertest” of computer and networking skills.
That text aims to match personnel with relevant educational backgrounds and secure extended service commitments, according to Military Times.
Other measures include incentives and bonuses, faster processing of security clearance and training programs based on individual skill levels, the report said.
