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Return to Article: Air Force moving ahead with Cyber Command

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  Of course the AF is trying to make itself more relevent -- it is led almost exclusively by pilots, and UAVs have them terrified. They are afraid they are becoming obsolete. Unlike the Army and the Navy, who put value on leadership and teamwork, the AF perceives the highest value is in the one person in the single seat fighter (read "The Right Stuff"). This is a dumb idea, and in today's limited budgets, crazier than the Space Command. Thumbs down!

  Also Anon Posted December 13, 2007 8:59 PM
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  I agree Wise Owl. The fact that the industry press, and to some extent the mainstream press, is drooling over all this USAF spin is also amazing. Who's had a charter to defend the "GIG" for a while now? Three-letter agencies indeed. How about some multi-letter combatant commands or even the joint task force, global network ops we've read a little about lately? I think the USAF is in a struggle to become more relevant. If it's not lamenting the need for billions worth of new airframes; it's spinning tales about "cyber warriors" and making up new commands. I bet they have half a dozen visual information folks working on spiffy new patch designs while much of the enlisted Airmen are in the sand on "in lieu of" tours.

  Anon Posted December 10, 2007 6:18 PM
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  Lt. Gen. Peterson says the new command will be "ready to fight the fight," implying an offensive capbility. As we reflect on the cold war and the corresponding arms race, it was the threat of an all out nuclear war that kept all sides, while always at the ready, efectively in check. The cyber dynamic is uniquely different in that it can compared to an in-progess "warm war" with ongoing cyber skirmishes and the eruption of occasional intense but brief battles. That said, an offensive capability is a necessary component of any full spectrum operation, but there are several significant shortcomings:

  1- An extraordinary amount of resources are slated for the new command, but at what expense? Every service is already begging for additional resources to bolster its existing defensive capabilities (i.e., limitations). Perhaps the DoD community should spend a little more time and effort getting its house in order, so to speak, by fully implementing security protocols. As any grade schooler quickly learns, don't pick a fight unless you're fully prepared to singularly deal with your opponent...AND his many friends.

  2- Jurisdiction, by definition, is a function of authority and mission. As such, it seems bewildering that the Air Force, a service within the DoD, would somehow perceive that it has jurisdiction to "protect critical information systems supporting U.S. infrastructures." The folks across the Potomac at DHS and DOJ surely interpret things differently. Expanding the discussion to offensive capabilities, there are significant legal restraints (meaning there is currently no authority for the Air Force in this regard). The three letter agencies are in a category by themselves, so let's just leave them there..... If they need more resources, I'm sure they won't/don't hesitate to advocate for themselves.

  The concept of cyber warriors within DoD is admittedly sexy, an aspect apparently not lost on the Air Force. However, the need for such a capability within the Air Force itself is simply unconscionable, especially when the military is struggling to maintain itself at the ready for current/future physical wars. It's a matter of mission and priorities.

  Wise Owl Posted December 7, 2007 9:01 PM