Despite an increasing need to grow the ranks of cyber operators in the US military, the Pentagon should not create a separate service to focus on online operations, the head of US Cyber Command told lawmakers Tuesday. Adm. Mike Rogers, commander of CYBERCOM and head of the National Security Agency, said during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing that he is not a proponent of a separate cyber force because “to be successful in cyber, you not only need to understand the technology. You need to understand the broader context.” While a unique cyber force might help train proficient operators, they will not have an “understanding of the broader context” of combat operations like those who came up through military services. Rogers said he recently met with Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein to discuss the need for additional manpower in the cyber ranks. The Air Force has several career fields that are short, in addition to those in the cyber community. Still, the Air Force is “not where it needs to be” and Rogers will continue to apply pressure to fill the cyber community.
The nominee to lead U.S. Cyber Command and the National Security Agency touted the value of the organizations’ dual-hat command structure and urged caution toward creating a dedicated cyber military service in written testimony to Congress released Jan. 15.
