Resistance to the Proposal of Combining All U.S. Military Cyber Units Into a Separate Service

Joe Gould

April 20, 2015

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WASHINGTON — To the list of folks skeptical about the military’s cyber corps becoming its own service branch, add former NSA and US Cyber Command chief Keith Alexander.

Defense Secretary Ash Carter raised eyebrows during his recent visit to the U.S. Cyber Command headquarters in Maryland when he said, “There may come a time when it makes sense,” in response to a question.

“And I think you have to look at this as the first step in a journey that may, over time, lead to the decision to break out Cyber the way that you said the Army Air Corps became the U.S. Air Force, the way Special Operations Command was created … with a somewhat separate thing, although that still has service parts to it,” he said.

But Alexander, speaking at an American Enterprise Institute event Friday focused on Iranian-backed cyber attacks, said he favors a go-slow approach, training forces, and refining policies and the rules of engagement first.