ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. -- If leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality, small wonder that Francis Louis Mayer has been selected as a Distinguished Member of the Signal Regiment. With more than 35 years of military and Department of the Army civilian service to his credit, the Chief Cybersecurity, and Cybersecurity Manager, U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command (CECOM) SEC Services Directorate, has dedicated his career to making a difference.
Evidenced by his recently being selected to join the ranks of the prestigious Signal Regiment, it is clear that the fruits of his labor have not gone unnoticed. Induction into the highly regarded Signal Regiment recognizes those with dedication, drive and commitment to excellence in military communications, and serves to perpetuate the history and traditions of the Regiment.
A government civilian since 2003, Mayer is a certified professional in the field of Information Assurance/Cyber Security, and has been in both technical and management level positions as a DA civilian. In the National Guard, Army Reserves, and the corporate sector, he has technical, operational, command, and leadership experience.
A Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), the cyber security chief holds a Graduate degree in Systems Management, as well as a Graduate certificate in Technology Management, Systems Integration, Systems Acquisition Management, Management of Research, Development, Testing and Evaluation.
A member of the Acquisition Corps, he is certified Level III in both Systems Planning, Research, Development and Engineering and Information Technology. Mayer is one of only 13 individuals Army-wide to be appointed as Security Control Assessor-Validator (SCA-V) under the Risk Management Framework (RMF) by the Army Certification Authority.
Said Mayer, "I am humbled to receive this great honor that recognizes an 'innovative spirit that inspired or resulted in some of the most impactful accomplishments in the history of our Regiment's support of the Army and our Nation."
Commissioned as a young Army officer in 1979, Mayer said he saw how computers increased in importance from an ancillary item to a core capability for the Army -- especially for Army communications. "Back in the 70's, encryption of networks, physical security and transmission security played a dominant role in operational security of our communications. Now the challenge extends to securing technologies and capabilities such as the 'cloud' and software assurance that did not even exist back then," stated Mayer.
Activated June 1, 1986, historians say the Signal Regiment functioned as a component of the U.S. Army Regimental System (USARS). The concept was approved in 1981 by the Army's Chief of Staff to provide the Soldier with a continuous identification with a single regiment and to support that concept with a personnel system that would increase a Soldier's probability of serving recurring assignments with his regiment.
Speaking to his selection and the importance of the support from his colleagues and peers Mayer said, "My accomplishments were never based only on what I did. They always involved a team effort and the support of my and our Army's leadership."
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