Cyber-enable professional Airmen

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Michael Jones and Airman 1st Class Jon Carpenter
  • 436th Communications Squadron
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  The newest generation of Airmen have already been exposed to technology prior to entering the military and are aware of the many security risks associated with it. They have seamlessly integrated technology into their everyday lives. Cyberspace is where they socialize with friends and family, and where they go for their education needs. Computer technology has become  second nature to these Airmen, enabling them to fortify the security measures and protocols for our Air Force systems.

Online classes have become a norm for college institutions and the military has begun to follow suit. Professional Military Education courses have been taken to the virtual environment.  It is now the standard for Air Force professional education.  For example, the time spent on temporary duty to attend Noncommissioned Officer Academy has changed from six to four weeks.  Members can now finish portions of required PME courses online, allowing work centers around the Air Force to continue completing their respective mission without losing members for extended periods of time.

This is now a world where tablets, smartphones and constant internet access are major staples in our lives. It would be helpful to us all to foster information security and longevity. We are working to change the habits of people who forget to implement password security on their computer or handheld smart devices. This mindset easily translates to being a cyber-professional. Removing your Common Access Card when you leave your workstation and not opening hyperlinks or attachments that may contain viruses or malicious software from strange or unfamiliar email accounts are all new common ways of thinking.

Computers are now found in the majority of work centers around the Air Force and cyber tools are used daily to ensure mission success. Whether it is for network maintenance, technical order laptop computers being used to validate aircraft effectiveness or our remotely piloted aircraft being operated from miles away to support the warfighter on the ground, technology impacts the Department of Defense on a massive scale. The amount of reliance on cyber tools is unprecedented compared to the previous generations of Airmen. The way we wage war has changed drastically and without cyber in today's Air Force, we would not be the world's greatest air power. Our mindset must be focused on cyber and how it develops us as Airmen, transforms and enhances our missions and plays a critical role in the way we do business for generations to come.