Leadership change a reflection of steady progress for Army Cyber Command

By Mike MilordOctober 19, 2016

Change of command, Army Cyber Command and Second Army
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT BELVOIR, Va. -- In passing the reins of U.S. Army Cyber Command and Second Army to new leadership, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley acknowledged ARCYBER's rapid growth and increasing importance to the nation and the Army.

Milley praised ARCYBER in his remarks moments after handing its command over to Lt. Gen. Paul M. Nakasone in an Oct. 14 ceremony here.

"ARCYBER has been getting built, and will continue to be built, while engaged in combat; virtual combat to be sure, the combat of the Internet, the combat of cyber, [but] combat nonetheless with the adversaries of our country. The first shots of the next actual war will likely be fired in cyberspace, and likely with devastating effects," Milley said.

Nakasone, who served as ARCYBER's deputy commanding general for operations in 2013-2014, "is the right leader at the right time for this growing and critically important command," he added.

"We are at the forefront of one of the most transformative times in our Army's history, operating in a dynamic and challenging domain that is revolutionizing the way our Army fights and wins," Nakasone said.

"Today I return to a command that is much different than the one I left just two years ago," he continued. "The growth of cyberspace capacity and capabilities is remarkable. The operational experience gained by our young Soldiers in combating adversaries in cyberspace is impressive. The technical talent across our force has grown substantially over the past 24 months."

In his remarks at the change of command, outgoing commander Lt. Gen. Edward C. Cardon underscored ARCYBER's rapid growth by listing its key achievements during his three years in command, including the designation of ARCYBER as an Army Service Component Command; the development of the Joint Force Headquarters-Cyber, the Cyber Center of Excellence and the Army Cyber Institute; the creation of dozens of Cyber Protection Teams in the active Army, Army National Guard and Army Reserve, as well as the Army Cyber Branch, the Cyber Protection Brigade and Regional Cyber Centers; the ongoing efforts to build the Army's tactical cyber capabilities; and the command's planned move to new multimillion-dollar, state-of-the-art facilities at Fort Gordon, Ga.

That growth will continue, Nakasone said, by developing ARCYBER's people, improving its processes, and building its partnerships as it executes its mission.

"In the weeks ahead our focus will be on aggressively defending our networks, data and weapons systems; delivering effects against our adversaries in and through cyberspace; and designing, building delivering and integrating capabilities for the future fight, spanning cyberspace, electronic warfare and information operations," he said.

But while much has changed at ARCYBER, Nakasone said, one vital element remains the same.

"There is one area that has not changed at Army Cyber, and that is the foundation importance of leadership -- leadership that blends technical solutions to the tactical mind-set; leadership that counsels; leadership that inspires; leadership that can persevere; leadership that makes a difference; leadership that cares," he said.