FORT GORDON, Ga. (Sept. 19, 2014) - The U.S. Army Cyber Center of Excellence and Fort Gordon partnered with Armed Forces Communications Electronics Association in hosting TechNet Augusta 2014, held Sept. 9 to 11 at the Augusta Marriott Convention Center.
This year's theme, "Achieving Force 2025 Through Signals and Cyber," addressed the transformation of Fort Gordon to the Cyber Center of Excellence while signifying the importance of continuation of signal training.
The event provided a forum for key military leaders to discuss issues and share ideas in a conference setting. Government, industry, and academia professionals addressed a broad range of topics including the importance of network, security issues, and training required for meeting goals and overcoming challenges in leading to 2025 and beyond.
The U.S. Army Cyber Center of Excellence and Fort Gordon commanding general, Maj. Gen. Stephen G. Fogarty, was among military leaders who gave presentations during the event. Others included Lt. Gen. Edward C. Cardon, commanding general of U.S. Army Cyber Command, and Lt. Gen. Robert S. Ferrell, U.S. Army chief information officer.
Less than a week into his new role as commanding general, Fogarty demonstrated extensive knowledge of Fort Gordon's role in building the Cyber Corps. His platform covered an array of subjects from the basic definition of a Cyber Center of Excellence to the intricacy of an evolving military force.
Fogarty told the audience that while building the cyber force is a new work in progress, centers of excellence are not a new concept. Just as cyber has its own school, the Intelligence and Signal corps' have their own. Collaborative efforts between the three and the Electronic Warfare school will be critical to the success of Soldiers as they train for cyber careers.
He explained that, although cyber forces have dominated attention in recent months, the Signal Corps will continue to play a critical and growing role in today's military. Fogarty told the audience that "Department of Defense information network (or DODIN) operations are among the most complex and vital missions in the Army. They are the foundation for mission command, fires, medical, logistics and intelligence. The DODIN is a weapons platform that enables all Army activities to include cyber. The network doesn't build, operate, maintain or defend itself, so a strong Signal Corp is essential to our Army, although changes will be required."
He cited the interrelationship of cyber, signal, intelligence and electronic warfare.
"This is a continuation (of the importance of the Signal Corps)," Fogarty said. "Cyber really is combined arms capability."
Also imperative is an understanding that cyber force is a joint effort.
"The thing we have to really guard against is making this solely an Army solution because Cyber is inherently joint," Fogarty said. "It's interagency, it's intergovernmental, and it's multi-national. If we try to do this as an Army alone, what I predict will happen is we'll fail."
The nation is at war even as the battle goes unseen by most, and failure is not an option, he went on to say. Commercial, defense, and government networks are constantly under attack. Insider threats are everywhere. Fogarty used Edward Snowden as an example. Snowden leaked classified information from the National Security Agency causing international turmoil.
"Who would imagine one person could have as much impact on this nation as he did," Fogarty said. "We were not prepared for that. That's an asymmetric attack that occurred, and it's happening every single day."
Preventing and combating such attacks will be one of many roles the cyber force will take on, and Col. Jennifer Buckner is at the helm. Buckner, commandant of the U.S. Army Cyber School, is in the process of building the school from ground up. And despite having a lot of work ahead, Buckner praised others who have gone before her.
"The collaboration of the Signal School, Intel School, and the new Cyber School are the result of visionary leaders from more than a decade ago," Buckner said during a small theater engagement. "This is not a start from scratch effort. It's really built upon a lot of effort in recent past."
The chief of signal and commandant of the U.S. Army Signal School, Col. Thomas Pugh, reiterated the significance of the three schools collaborating. Together, they will result in an overall stronger force. The Signal School will continue to send an estimated 15,000 Soldiers through its school each year.
"We haven't decreased in our capability," Pugh said. "We've actually tripled our capability."
Buckner said there are six lieutenants in the Military Intelligence and Signal Basic Officer Leaders Courses who will likely go on to the new cyber branch. It's a leap in the right direction as Fort Gordon continues progress toward becoming site of U.S. Army Cyber Command.
"We have a great team that's assembled that's going to allow us to meet the road ahead," Fogarty said.
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