To further its efforts to include “cyberspace” as a real domain where it must conduct operations, the Air Force not only added the term to its mission statement but also has created the Air Force Cyberspace Task Force, headed by Lani Kass, a former professor of strategy at the National War College. She says, “We have to be able to give commanders the ability to conduct offensive, defensive, and exploitation operations.” The job of the task force will be to evaluate gaps and vulnerabilities and project new capabilities. Kass cautions, “Anything we can create to exploit and control in cyberspace can be done to us and done cheaper and faster.”
After nearly a yearlong vacancy, the Air Force has a Vice Chief of Staff once more. The Senate confirmed Gen. John D. Lamontagne to the service’s No. 2 job on Jan. 30 in an uncontroversial voice vote, along with a new head of U.S. Southern Command and five Air Force three-stars.
