The U.S. Army plans to expand an existing program that aims to bolster the military branch's information technology and cyber workforce. The Quantum Leap pilot program commenced in September 2020 and will continue as Army officials want to widen the range of IT and cyber areas covered by the effort, the service said Wednesday.
"We started this out with a civilian population, but it is spreading rapidly to [other missions] throughout the Army," said Gregory Garcia, the deputy chief information officer at the Army.
Garcia noted that the Department of Defense's pursuit of new capabilities necessitates the expansion of the current IT workforce's existing skillsets. Quantum Leap and other similar programs are needed to maintain Army competitiveness and to curb future conflict, according to the deputy CIO.
The program now trains nearly 250 Army civilians and will soon extend its reach to soldiers. Quantum Leap's pilot is planned to run for a year from when it began.
