CYBER SNAPSHOT: 2nd Lt. Zachary Kelly

Photo By William Roche | 2nd Lt. Zachary Kelly is an Army Cyber Operations Officer (MOS 17A)  

FORT BELVOIR, VA, UNITED STATES

09.05.2018

Story by William Roche 

U.S. Army Cyber Command

Hometown: Charlottesville, Virginia
Military Occupational Specialty: 17A – Cyber Operations Officer
(NOTE: Rank and position are correct as of time of interview)

QUICK SKETCH:
-- Prior service in U.S. Marine Corps as an enlisted ammunition technician
-- Degree in Information Technology with concentration in web development
-- Worked for commercial firm as web developer before joining Army and attending Officer Candidate School
-- Completed cyber officer training and awaiting assignment at time of interview

ON JOINING AND BUILDING THE ARMY CYBER BRANCH:
“I wanted to be working for a bigger or better purpose. A best friend of mine who was a captain in the Army told me that the Army had just created a brand-new branch for cyber, and that if I wanted to do something worthwhile with my degree that would be the way to go. ... I want to be able to lead people who then take their technical skills and actually help protect our country from whatever there is that's out there on the cyber side.”

“I want to … take my background, my skills and my leadership abilities and actually help shape the branch, because it's such a new branch. … We're giving guys coming out of college a huge resume that they can take and go into the civilian side (and make) money. I've got a passion to be in the military, and I want to see if I can provide that down below me, to keep the guys that are getting (those) skill sets, to actually stay and continue our mission, rather than chase a salary.”

ON WHAT EXCITES HIM ABOUT ARMY CYBER:
“I'm excited to see what we can become, and how we are going to work when we start getting up against some bigger adversaries that haven't really messed with us yet. ... It's scary if you think about it and start breaking it down -- what it is we are doing. It's not like deploying with the Marines to Iraq. That was a different kind of scary. That could only affect me and my guys. What we're doing now could affect everybody in our country. So being able to work and help and defend our country by doing that -- I think it's huge.”

“One of the things that excites me is, I am by no means the sharpest tool in the shed ... We've got some brilliant minds that are coming into the force right now, to join the brilliant minds that are already there. I was truly blown away, sitting in class, with how much talent and skill there is coming out of college directly into BOLC (the cyber Basic Officer Leader Course). I mean, there were guys who were sitting in class, and some of the stuff was boring to them because they already knew it, or when the lesson plan came out, they looked at it and said, "Yeah, I got it." And as the instructor was teaching everybody else, they were already performing. So there are some very very talented people coming into the force. That's good, as far as the recruiting side. It means we're doing our job. We're bringing in the right people. But my goal for the future, as I said, is figuring out how to retain them and make sure that they stay in.”

For information on uniformed Army Cyber careers, go to www.goarmy.com/army-cyber.html

For information on Army cyber civilian career opportunities, select the “Careers” menu at www.arcyber.army.mil

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ABOUT US: United States Army Cyber Command directs and conducts integrated electronic warfare, information and cyberspace operations as authorized, or directed, to ensure freedom of action in and through cyberspace and the information environment, and to deny the same to our adversaries.

• Date Taken: 09.05.2018
• Date Posted: 09.05.2018 10:29
• Story ID: 291460
• Location: FORT BELVOIR, VA, US