Lt. Gen. Robert Elder, commander of 8th Air Force and top officer for cyberwarfare, says USAF has come up with a new “cyber sidearm” program to help defend vital networks. Elder disclosed the move on Tuesday to a gathering of AFA’s Eaker Institute in Washington. He said that, just as all airmen at Balad AB, Iraq, carry a sidearm or other weapon to help defend the base if attacked, airmen will be given ready access to cyber weapons to fend off hackers, crackers, and others intent on crashing the networks. In tests, airmen have been called on to use these weapons when they sense an intrusion (simulated by airmen themselves). Elder said that these kinds of individual actions could play a key role in fighting off attacks while the network itself remains functional.
Dick Cheney’s Legacy with the Air Force
Nov. 6, 2025
Dick Cheney, who died Nov. 3 at 84, is best remembered by most Americans as among the most powerful Vice Presidents in history, a consummate Washington insider who had previously served in the Nixon administration, was Chief of Staff for President Gerald Ford, a Congressman for a decade, and Secretary…
