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Integration of cyberspace capabilities
into tactical units
By U.S. Army Cyber Command Col. Jerry Turner, commander of the 2nd U.S. Army photo
SBCT, said having cyber planners linked to Soldiers with the 780th Military Intelligence Brigade conduct cyberspace operations
The Army’s efforts to integrate operational the brigade during its entire train-up process during a training rotation for the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division,
cyberspace capabilities into its tactical units took helped the unit better understand the possibili- here, Jan. 24. The Fort Meade, Md.-based 780th was one of several cyber organizations
another big step forward during a training rotation ties and potential of cyber on the battlefield. that took part in the rotation as part of an pilot program to designed to help the Army
at the National Training Center in January. develop how it will build and employ cyber in its tactical formations.
At the same time, the NTC infrastructure sup-
Cyber forces provided support to offensive porting the rotation underwent a transformation context for current problems, so as we look out to 3rd Brigade CombatTeam, 25th Infantry Division).
and defensive cyberspace operations, intelligence, to enhance training on offensive cyber operations. future problems and try to develop future solutions, We came into this rotation understanding it. And so
information operations and opposing forces for we have an understanding of what the cyber force immediately the team was talking maneuver termi-
the NTC rotation for the Lancer brigade – the Chief Warrant Officer 3 Nevery Berry from the is facing now, here at the NTC and at the tactical nology and fires terminology that was understood
2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry 780th MIB, said his team worked on the infrastruc- level,” Hutchison said during the rotation. and nested with the brigade combat team.
Division from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. ture to support cyber training at NTC for about
six months prior to the Lancer brigade rotation, to “We hope to add value by understanding the “We have been able to provide a solid process to
Elements of the U.S. Army Cyber Com- create a realistic cyber environment in “the box.” current challenges facing staff integration and cyber inform the brigade commander of his fight. We’ve
mand headquarters: 780th Military Intelligence planning at the maneuver headquarters, as well as nested with decision points and provided cyber
Brigade from Fort Meade, Md.; U.S. Army Those improvements included replicating a the expeditionary nature of cyber enabling at the concepts of operation or schemes of maneuver to
Cyber Protection Brigade from Fort Gordon, real-world network provider serving the several maneuver headquarters,” Waage added. support the brigade’s scheme of maneuver, to the
Ga.; Cyberspace Opposing Force from the 1st mock villages in the box, establishing Wi-Fi access point where Lancer 6, the brigade commander,
Information Operations Command at Fort points and providing laptops and smartphones to Ultimately the findings from the rotation and and Lancer 3, the operations officer, looks at his
Belvoir, Va.; 201st Expeditionary Military Intel- enable online communication. Soldiers acting as other CSCB pilot efforts will be used to help cyberspace planner as a key member on the staff
ligence Brigade from JBLM; and Fort Gordon’s opposing forces and “cyber threat actors” – role- NTC develop and improve the cyber elements and goes to her regularly for observations and
U.S. Army Cyber Center of Excellence and 7th players simulating civilians on the battlefield or of its training, and help the Army make decisions recommendations on how to integrate cyberspace
Signal Command took part in the exercise. enemy sympathizers – can use the system to do on cyber doctrine, manning, rules of engagement, operations to support the brigade fight.”
everything from carry on routine conversations individual and collective training, tactics, equip-
The cyber participation in the training was a to help adversary forces target Soldiers. The same ment, and the myriad other functions necessary Turner said the 2nd SBCT’s successes with
key element in the Army’s ongoing Cyber Sup- network also enables friendly forces to detect and to creating and employing forces in a warfighting cyber operations have convinced him that it’s a ca-
port to Corps and Below (CSCB) pilot, designed take action against threats. domain – even whether to incorporate cyber pability that all brigade commanders should have.
to help the Army develop how it will build and functions at the corps level and below at all.
employ cyber in its tactical formations. Where all these training scenarios once de- “We had some great success during this rota-
pended on scripted processes, Burnett said, the Perhaps the most major lesson learned tion in terms of shaping information operations
To further facilitate the training and the pilot, enhanced infrastructure now more realistically from the pilot thus far is that cyber effects can with cyber (as well as) on the wide area security
planners, staff officers and subject-matter experts reflects today’s hybrid threats. be understood and executed much like other mission with cyber, and then certainly in the
from Army Cyber, the 780th and the Cyber Pro- warfighting effects, such as combat engineering decisive action role,” Turner said. “So this may
tection Brigade also integrated into the brigade “The environment is dynamic, and it chang- or intelligence operations, allowing cyber plan- not be the final version, and it certainly won’t be
staff and NTC’s Operations Group for the rota- es, and now rather than there being a script, ners and operators to use maneuver terms and the final version of how cyber works in a brigade,
tion. Their role was to provide additional support there is a real human factor that is manipulat- symbols tactical commanders are familiar with, but what it’s allowed (us) to do is think about it
and expertise for the training while gathering ing how the information is viewed,” he said. and to integrate seamlessly into their staffs. and to begin to explore its possibilities.”
observations and recommendations to help the
Army determine how it will train, man, equip, The improvements also give commanders “It’s not about individual enemies on the battle- Continued CSCB pilot efforts include addi-
sustain and develop doctrine to define and con- a lot more to think about. While much of the field,” said Maj. Wayne Sanders, executive officer tional combat training center rotations. Elements
duct cyber operations in tactical environments. traffic the network carries is mundane conversa- for the 781st Military Intelligence Battalion, and of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry
tion, when real threats are detected it challenges a member of the operations team that supported Division from Fort Riley, Kan., are already
The cyber component of the 2nd SBCT a commander’s decision-making, Berry said. He cyber during the rotation. “It’s the ability to integrate making preparations for an August NTC rota-
rotation represented an extension of an inte- will have to think about things such as key cyber into the brigade’s operations process and develop tion. In addition, increased cyber operations are
grative cyber exercise the brigade conducted at terrain, critical networks and systems, cyber rules plans to support combined arms maneuver.” being incorporated into the Network Integration
JBLM in October. It also follows and expands of engagement and execution criteria, what actions Evaluation and Army Warfighter Assessment
on two similar brigade combat team rotations his forces can take and how they may affect other “The importance of us being able to talk tacti- programs, a series of Soldier-led evaluations
conducted last year at the Joint Readiness Train- activities, whether they must request the authority cally is critical for our success in integrating in the designed to integrate and rapidly progress the
ing Center at Fort Polk, La., as part of the pilot. to take action, and even whether second- or third- staff,” Burnett said. “This was identified during Army’s tactical communications network.
order effects or the possibility of collateral damage the 3/25 BCT rotation at Joint Readiness Training
Each of those exercises was preceded by exten- might cause him to decide not to take action. Center (an earlier rotation in the pilot, involving the
sive planning and unit training at home station
supported by cyber forces. Preparing the Lancer The pilot is also giving the Army a lot to think
brigade and the NTC for cyberspace training and about. The observations and recommendations of
operations was no exception, and began months the cyber planners who partnered with the 2nd
before the rotation kicked off at Fort Irwin. SBCT, NTC and others, such as the observer-con-
troller/trainers who closely monitor training in the
Cyber elements “integrated early and integrated box, were presented at after-action reviews during
often” with the brigade, said Lt. Col. Jonathan and after the rotation, and will be further compiled
Burnett, the CSCB pilot lead for Army Cyber for consideration by the Army’s decision-makers.
Command. That integration took several forms,
he added, from familiarizing the unit with cyber Capts. Frederick Waage and Matthew Hutchi-
operations, capabilities, execution criteria and rules son were part of a team of researchers from the Army
of engagement and integrating into their planning Cyber Institute at the United States Military Acad-
processes and operations, to establishing critical emy, which also took part in the NTC rotation to
intelligence support at JBLM for the brigade at gather observations they said will be compiled into
NTC, to making recommendations for hardening ACI papers designed to spark discussion about the
its networks and systems against attack. future development of cyber activities and doctrine.
“One of the main reasons we’re out here is to gain
For more information go to www.irwin.army.mil