US Army cyber warriors may be excused combat training

[Eclipse]

"Lt Gen Brown told a briefing of the New America Foundation: "For cyber, this must include individuals who anticipate and
adapt to the rapid pace of innovation in the cyber world and thrive in its inherent ambiguity. Many who have these skills are
not natural candidates for a military career.  "They grew up on Google and wear ponytails. We need to look at ways to bring them
into the Army without necessarily going through the same training procedures as our combat troops."

(Just keep the Cheetos dust off the keyboard...)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/11289977/Google-generation-US-Army-cyber-warriors-may-be-excused-combat-training.html

command center lol

Full disclosure, I can't find the original quotes on any official sites, and the techsphere are all quoting this UK article.

[coudano]

to help the Pentagon attract badly needed recruits from the ponytail wearing Google generation


lol.

[ColonelJack]

You gotta be kidding me.

I hope this idea dies the death it deserves - and the "general" who thought it up goes with it.

Jack

[lordmonar]

Yes...no thinking outside the box is allowed in the Army.   

[Pylon]

Don't we already have a way for people like this to serve the national interests in this way? DoD civilian employees and contractors.

[Eclipse]

Don't we already have a way for people like this to serve the national interests in this way? DoD civilian employees and contractors.

That was the first thing I thought, although in many cases putting someone in uniform may get them a lot
cheaper then hiring them as a DOD EE or Contractor.

With that said, recent history has shown that neither side of the fence are necessarily more "secure" assets
when working in intelligence. 

I can't imagine that you could put people in uniform and have them interacting with
a normal military command structure and culture without at least the most basic adherence to a "salutin' school"
level of training like a medical professional or similar might get.

[PHall]

You do realize that the New America Foundation is a liberal think tank that has absolutely no "official" standing with the Department of Defense, right?
And with the Republicans calling the shots in the House and Senate these days, their views are probably not received well by the folks who make the money decisions.

[Eclipse]

You do realize that the New America Foundation is a liberal think tank that has absolutely no "official" standing with the Department of Defense, right?
And with the Republicans calling the shots in the House and Senate these days, their views are probably not received well by the folks who make the money decisions.

Yes, though I'm not sure about the relevance to the discussion.

This is purported to be an Army General making the statement, and that's how these things work - they float ideas
in a friendly room to see if they stick to the wall.

[lordmonar]

Don't we already have a way for people like this to serve the national interests in this way? DoD civilian employees and contractors.

Yes and no.   Civilians and contractors become problematical when you start talking about offensive operations.

[Eclipse]

Don't we already have a way for people like this to serve the national interests in this way? DoD civilian employees and contractors.

Yes and no.   Civilians and contractors become problematical when you start talking about offensive operations.

There's also the issue of people who can quit whenever they want to want to vs. people who are under the UCMJ.

[Майор Хаткевич]

Don't we already have a way for people like this to serve the national interests in this way? DoD civilian employees and contractors.

That was the first thing I thought, although in many cases putting someone in uniform may get them a lot
cheaper then hiring them as a DOD EE or Contractor.

With that said, recent history has shown that neither side of the fence are necessarily more "secure" assets
when working in intelligence. 

I can't imagine that you could put people in uniform and have them interacting with
a normal military command structure and culture without at least the most basic adherence to a "salutin' school"
level of training like a medical professional or similar might get.

The quote says other training, not the same or none. I suppose it makes sense...they get "salutin' school" and get issued a laptop with their ACUs. That's assuming it will happen this generation.

[a2capt]

* a2capt imagines the crooked computer dude in Jurassic Park ..

... or McKittrick getting constipated when confronted that his only option is to let the kid (Lightman) on the "computer" .. 

[Luis R. Ramos]

LTG Robert Brown bio here. http://usacac.army.mil/cac2/Bios/cac-commanding-general.pdf

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

What if...somehow their "cyberbunker" gets infiltrated and they have to actually defend themselves?

I would prefer at least knowing which way to point the M-16.

Drill Sergeants must be apoplectic about this.

[kwe1009]

Don't we already have a way for people like this to serve the national interests in this way? DoD civilian employees and contractors.

Contractors and civilians are not authorized to perform certain "offensive" cyber attacks just like civilians and contractors are not authorized to be used as offensive troops on the battlefield.

[JeffDG]

Don't we already have a way for people like this to serve the national interests in this way? DoD civilian employees and contractors.

Contractors and civilians are not authorized to perform certain "offensive" cyber attacks just like civilians and contractors are not authorized to be used as offensive troops on the battlefield.

Perhaps we should start issuing Letters of Marque and Reprisal to the contractors.

[winterg]

The thing that stood out the most for me was, I cannot recall the last time I saw a ponytail.

[PHall]

The thing that stood out the most for me was, I cannot recall the last time I saw a ponytail.

Saw at least three today. All three of them were homeless guys...

[lordmonar]

The thing that stood out the most for me was, I cannot recall the last time I saw a ponytail.

what are you suggesting a LTG is out of touch with today's youth and fashion trends.   

[winterg]

The thing that stood out the most for me was, I cannot recall the last time I saw a ponytail.

what are you suggesting a LTG is out of touch with today's youth and fashion trends.   

No, never.  I'm sure the LTG is very hip to the scene with the cool kids.