Army Cyber Brigade requests exemption from online training

[InfoSec News <alerts () infosecnews org>]

https://www.duffelblog.com/2019/07/cyber-training-will-not-take-place/

By @Veishnoriets
Duffel Blog
July 17, 2019

FORT MEADE, Md. -- The Army's most elite cyber operations unit has 
requested a blanket exemption from conducting mandatory online training, 
according to several sources familiar with the matter.

The 708th Cyber Brigade, colocated with U.S. Cyber Command at Fort Meade, 
is tasked with integrating and conducting cyberspace operations that 
maintain the Army's freedom of action in the global information 
environment. Its soldiers are elite cyber warriors, with skills comparable 
to the world’s top hackers.

"If I try to make junior cyber soldiers do online training, they will just 
write a script that clicks through it for them and Googles the answers to 
all the tests," Command Sgt. Maj. Brian Krog told reporters. "Soldiers get 
zero development value out of that. Eventually, you will get a a 
noncommissioned officer who has never completed his structured 
self-development courses and doesn’t know how to lead," said Krog, 
referring to the mandatory online classes soldiers must complete before 
they can be promoted.

In addition to fighting adversaries in the cyber domain, the Army 
increasingly relies on cyber tools to prepare its soldiers for war. 
Although the most important training, such as sexual assault prevention 
and equal opportunity awareness, is still primarily conducted "where you 
can reach out and touch someone," secondary, warfighting-focused is 
conducted online. This includes antiterrorism operations, infantry combat, 
combined arms operations, and survival, escape, resistance and evasion in 
case soldiers are captured by the enemy -- known as SERE. Online 
leadership training is also mandatory for promotion to most enlisted 
grades.

[...]

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