Full operational capability achieved by Cyber Mission Force
NewsMay 17, 2018
FORT MEADE, Md. U.S. Cyber Command (Cybercom) officials announced that all 133 mission force teams achieved full operation capability ahead of schedule.
To reach full operational capability, teams met a rigorous set of criteria, including an approved concept of operation and a high percentage of trained, qualified, and certified personnel. As part of the certification process, teams had to show they could perform their mission under stress in simulated, real-world conditions as part of specialized training events.
The focus will shift toward readiness to perform the mission and deliver optimized mission outcomes, continuously, officials explain emphasizing that while this is an important milestone, more work remains.
The cyber mission force has been building capability and capacity since 2013, when the force structure was developed and the services began to field and train the force of over 6,200 soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and civilians.
The cyber mission force execute the command’s mission to direct, synchronize. and coordinate cyberspace operations in defense of the nation’s interests.
Cyber mission force teams support this mission through their specific respective assignments:
- Cyber national mission teams defend the nation by identifying adversary activity, blocking attacked and maneuvering to defeat them.
- Cyber combat mission teams conduct military cyberspace operations in support of combatant commander priorities and missions.
- Cyber protection teams defend DoD’s information network, protect priority missions and prepare cyber forces for combat.
- Cyber support teams provide analytic and planning support to national mission and combat mission teams.
Some teams are aligned to combatant commands to support combatant commander priorities and synchronize cyberspace operations with operations in the other four domains -- land, sea, air and space -- and some are aligned to the individual services for defensive missions. The balance report directly to subordinate command sections of Cybercom, the cyber national mission force, and Joint Force Headquarters-DoD Information Network.
The cyber national mission force plans, directs and synchronizes full-spectrum cyberspace operations to deter, disrupt and if necessary, defeat adversary cyber actors to defend the nation. National mission force teams are aligned to support the cyber national mission force.
Joint Force Headquarters-DoD Information Network, which also achieved full operational capability this year, provides command and control of DoD information network operations, defensive cyber operations and internal defensive measures globally to enable power projection and freedom of action across all warfighting domains.
