Senior leaders discuss key facts during an executive-level presentation at the Cyberspace Operations Symposium hosted at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., Oct. 27-30. Pictured are Col. John Toomer from U.S. Air Force Cyber Operations, Col. Garrett Howard from ...

FORT LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (Nov. 5, 2009) - The Combined Arms Center Capability Development Integration Directorate hosted a Cyberspace Operations Symposium Oct. 27-30 at Fort Leavenworth.

More than 100 attendees from more than 25 organizations across Training and Doctrine Command and the greater community of interest actively participated in the symposium to further cyberspace operations capability development work. Working groups spent the first two days refining the Cyberspace Operations Concept Capability Plan.

"This document is really the first Army effort to standardize terminology and tie all the elements of cyberspace operations together," Thomas Jordan told the participants during his welcome to the group. "The Army's reliance on information sharing and cyberspace technologies echoes that of our nation and even the world - this event and your work here this week are critical steps in advancing our capabilities in cyberspace because it will pave the way for future analytical efforts."

The third day of the symposium was an executive session. In addition to reviewing the draft briefing that will present the final Cyber CCP to the Senior Oversight Group in early November, this venue provided an opportunity to share ideas.

Illustrating the importance of including all stakeholders in the collaboration on cyberspace operations, Col. Jeffrey Witsken, deputy director of CAC-CDID, said, "Operations in cyberspace cross boundaries. The traditional lines between military, commercial, academic and other communities are largely nonexistent in cyberspace. For example, the vast majority of advancements (in technology) are in the commercial sector, both nationally and internationally. What changes does this mean for the Army in how we go forward with cyberspace operations'"

Classified and unclassified briefings from a wide range of organizations, including U.S. Strategic Command, Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command, Joint Forces Command, the Cyber Innovation Center, U.S. Cyber Command, the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Air Force, the Communications-Electronics Research, Development, and Engineering Center, and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, facilitated discussion of the central ideas, framework, and concepts of Army Cyber Ops. Experimentation initiatives, joint concepts, and potential partnerships with academic and industry partners also provided opportunities for enthusiastic interchanges.

The final day consisted of out-briefings to the group that validated the revised CyberOps CCP and initial Capabilities Based Assessment planning efforts accomplished during the conference, including the literature review reference list, CBA study plan, and draft task lists. The initial feedback from the participants suggests that the event was a big success. Everyone agreed that continued collaboration is necessary and some future meetings are already being planned. As the draft CyberOps CCP states up front, "The Army's ability to leverage cyberspace capabilities will be increasingly critical to its operational success."

A major subordinate organization of CAC, CDID is CAC's executive agent for the assigned proponencies of electronic warfare, information operations and computer network operations - all critical to cyberspace operations.

(From a Combined Arms Center Capability Development Integration Directorate release.)