Non-Subscriber Extract
USAF prepares for launch of Cyber Command
By Caitlin Harrington
20 March 2008
Senior US Air Force (USAF) officials say they will adopt an unusual "distributed command" structure for the new Air Force Cyber Command (AFCYBER), spreading hundreds of command billets across military bases nationwide.
Normally the USAF chooses one single permanent location for a new command headquarters before declaring initial operational capability, which AFCYBER is scheduled to do on 1 October.
However, USAF officials have decided to do things differently this time. They will retain a temporary headquarters at Barksdale Air Force Base (AFB) in Louisiana and will spread the 541 billets currently allocated to the command across the country at bases where cyber units are already functioning.
"We have looked at several ways in which we could set up this command and feel that this is the best way to leverage the people and resources already in place," Major General William Lord, the AFCYBER (Provisional) Commander, told Jane's on 17 March.
One of the big advantages of the distributed command structure, Gen Lord said, is that the military units already doing cyberspace missions are located near key suppliers of cyberspace technology.