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WASHINGTON – "The power of the Army Reserve is matching civilian
professional skills with their military careers; this is a powerful
and effective way to maintain Soldiers' advanced skills demanded by
the Army and DOD."
- Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Talley, chief of Army
Reserve and commanding general, Army Reserve Command
The Army
Reserve is partnering with six top-tier universities and 12
employers in a first-of-its-kind effort to create a pathway for
future cyber warriors. On Feb. 10, the Army Reserve Cyber Private
Public Partnership Program brought together leaders of industry and
academia with lawmakers on Capitol Hill to address a critical need
for expertise in the cyber domain.
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Leaders from the Army Reserve, academia, and private industry display the statement of support signed signifying the partnership to educate and employ cyber Soldiers during the Army Reserve Private Public Partnership Cyber Security Signing Ceremony held on Capitol Hill, Washington, Feb. 10. The event hosted by Congress will establish and strengthen partnerships with top-tier universities, employers, and Army Reserve Cyber Soldiers and units. The Army Reserve combines the best of private industry and academia with the strength of the Army. (U.S. Army Photo by Staff Sgt. Shejal Pulivarti)
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"The demand for these cyber security professionals and
cyber experienced Soldiers far outpaces the current
inventory," said Talley. "The GAO (Government Accountability
Office) estimates that there is currently a need for 40,000
cyber security professionals just to satisfy the
government's demand. Our belief is the Cyber P3 effort will
serve as a seed to enhance these critical efforts and lessen
the skilled Soldiers shortage gap."
A GAO study,
published Jan. 30, identifies cybersecurity as one of six
federal workforce occupations facing mission-critical skills
gaps, business and industry face similar shortages.
"This program addresses the Army and Department of Defense
need for increased cyber capability by creating a pool of
Citizen-Soldiers who combine civilian skills, education and
knowledge with military expertise," said Lt. Col. Scott
Nelson, P3's program manager for Cyber and former deputy
commanding officer of the Army Reserve Cyber Operations
group. "It also supports the Army in recruiting and
retaining talented cyber warriors by providing opportunities
for active duty transitioning into the Army Reserve."
According to Joe Martore, president and chief executive
officer of CALIBRE Systems Inc., the partnership introduces
a great opportunity for all the participants. "The P3 cyber
initiative identifies a mandate and a forum for
universities, corporations and the Army Reserve to make a
significant impact in an innovative and dynamic way."
The Army Reserve is looking to build foundational
programs that support our Soldiers, enhance their skills,
education and training to develop continuously ready cyber
Soldiers who can match their military and civilian career
with continuous education opportunities at top-tier regional
schools.
George Mason is among the universities
tailoring its curriculum to address the needs of the
military.
"This partnership with the Army Reserve
enhances our ability to protect the nation's infrastructure
and enhance the operational readiness of the Army," said Dr.
Kenneth Ball, dean of the Volgenau School of Engineering.
Texas Congressman Will Hurd came to the event to
show support for the University of Texas at San Antonio and
Rackspace, both of which are in his hometown, but also feels
strong ties to the Army Reserve and its mission. "I spent
nine years undercover in the CIA, and have worked with many
talented Army Reserve Soldiers in the Middle East and South
Asia. Cybersecurity is an important issue that we need to
confront, and it's great to see the Army Reserve and UTSA
leading the way. I'm on the Information Technology
Subcommittee for Oversight and Government Reform, as well as
the Committee for Homeland Security, so I'm ready to help
this important partnership any way I can.”
"The goal
of the (P3 Cyber) program is to train and educate Army
Reserve Soldiers to be elite cyber security professionals
through classroom work and field experience," said Talley.
"Each of these schools have been chosen for their excellence
in cyber security research, teaching and their experience in
helping the public and private sectors address cyber
security issues."
University partners are: University
of Washington, Norwich University, George Mason University,
Drexel University, University of Colorado and University of
Texas at San Antonio.
Corporate partners include:
Rackspace U.S. Inc., Verizon Communications Inc., Microsoft
Corp., Professional Project Services Inc. (Pro2Serve),
Chevron Corp. and CALIBRE Systems.
The Federal Bureau
of Investigation is also a partner in this effort.
The Army Reserve Private Public Partnership Office builds
and enhances mutually beneficial partnerships between the
civilian and military communities. This is accomplished by
developing a supportive environment for Soldiers, veterans
and family members striving to create and enhance career and
training opportunities.
Note... The Army Reserve's mission is to
provide trained, equipped, and ready Soldiers and cohesive units to
meet global requirements across the full range of military
operations. It consists of approximately 200,000 highly-skilled
members in 148 career fields providing life-saving and
life-sustaining forces for Joint Force operations.
More information about the Army Reserve
By Melssa Russell, U.S. Army Reserve
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2015
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