There will be a growing gap in cyber needs going forward as the Defense Department struggles with the pressure from reduced budgets and sequestration, said Lt. Gen. Michael Basla, USAF’s chief information officer. Speaking to media Sept. 17 at AFA’s 2013 Air & Space Conference in National Harbor, Md., Basla said he sees the resources line staying “constant, at best,” but the requirements for cyberspace will go up, leaving a gap that will continue to increase, in respect to hardware, software, and people. “So we’ve got to deal with that gap,” he asserted. Basla added that while there may be a chance of a slight increase in resources, it would come at “the expense of other capabilities.”
Promotions to the Space Force’s second highest enlisted grade, senior master sergeant, have surged to the highest level in the young service’s history, bolstering the senior NCO corps as officials plan to aggressively expand the force and especially the enlisted corps.