13 January 2016 (04:37 UTC-07 Tango 01)/23 Dey 1394/02 Rabi’a’-Thani 1437/04 Ding-Chou (12th month) 4713

“This is the beginning. This is a massive amount of force structure the Guard has laid into this mission, but this is just the first layer.”– Colonel Kelly Hughes, USAF Space and Cyber Warfare Operations Division, Air National Guard Readiness Center

The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) created Cyber Squadron of the Future now includes The Gem State National Guard (state militia).

 

It’s part of Governor Butch Otter’s plan to spend at least $1-million state tax dollars creating a state cyber security operation led by Boise State University and the U.S. Navy’s Idaho National Laboratory.

In next door Colorado, the U.S. Air Force revealed that the 50th Space Wing at Schriever AFB will be directly involved: “The future of Team Five-O is bright and there are opportunities on the horizon:  Space Mission Force, Space Training Transformation, Cyber Network Defense, Cyber Squadron of the Future, Community Gathering Place, Youth Center and new services and support for our installation just to name a few and I know there will be others…”-Colonel DeAnna M. Burt, commander

It’s hoped that by 2019 Cyber Squadron of the Future will be staffed by Air and Army National Guard units from 23 states.  The DoD says attacks on internet systems are becoming more dangerous as more and more of a country’s utility infrastructure and financial system are directly controlled through the internet.  Recent cyber wargames included cyber attacks that cause food shortages.