Ceremony Inaugurates First-Ever Navy Reserve Cyber Protection Unit

Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Kenneth D Rodgers | 200307-N-EB034-0020 BALTIMORE, Md. (March 07, 2020) Lt. Cmdr. Trulea Craig (left), the newly appointed officer in charge of Cyber Defense Activity SIXTY FOUR Detachment 1 (NR CDA-64 Det 1), shakes hands with Rear Adm. James Butler (right), Deputy Commander, U.S. Fleet Cyber Command (FCC), during a command establishment ceremony at Navy Operational Support Center, Baltimore. During the ceremony, Naval Reserve CWG-6 stood up NR CDA-64 Det 1, which will support the active duty Cyber Defense Activity SIXTY FOUR (CDA-64) command. The new reserve unit’s mission is to defend the Navy’s networks and improve overall network security by implementing preventative measures, as well as responding to suspected cyber incidents. CWG-6 delivers information warfare capabilities to the U.S. Navy to conduct signals intelligence and cyberspace operations or naval and joint forces. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kenneth Rodgers)  

BALTIMORE, MD, UNITED STATES

03.07.2020

Story by Lt. Robert Mook 

U.S. Fleet Cyber Command / U.S. 10th Fleet

FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, Md. (NNS) -- Navy Reserve leaders formally inaugurated the Navy’s first reserve Cyber Protection Team unit during an establishment ceremony at Navy Operational Support Center (NOSC) Baltimore, Mar 7.

Deputy Commander, U.S. Fleet Cyber Command (FCC), Rear Adm. James Butler, presided over the event.

“As we find ourselves in a renewed era of Great Power Competition, our infrastructure, and our way of life are under attack,” said Butler. “We are in the fight today, and we need forces that are more lethal, resilient and agile to deter and defeat any adversary”.

The new reserve unit, called Cyber Defense Activity SIXTY FOUR Detachment 1 (NR CDA-64 Det 1), will support the active duty Cyber Defense Activity SIXTY FOUR (CDA-64) command, which is one of six subordinate commands under Cryptologic Warfare Group SIX (CWG-6). The new reserve unit’s mission is to defend the Navy’s networks and improve overall network security by implementing preventative measures, as well as responding to suspected cyber incidents. Sailors in the reserve unit will be aligned to specific teams, but will be trained to fill any active component manning gaps.

Reservists have become an increasingly valuable asset to the Navy’s growing cyber mission, supplying a scalable augment for the active duty force and bringing variety and depth of skill from the private sector. Reservists are an especially good fit for cyber protection teams, since their mission is usually short-term incident response versus ongoing operations.

“More than ever, we as a Navy need to leverage our reservists’ skill sets to defend against advanced adversary cyber, cryptologic and electronic warfare capabilities,” said Butler. “As the first reserve detachment for CDA-64, you are on the front lines of that mission.”

Billets for the unit’s three officers and 48 enlisted Sailors came from the reserve Cryptologic Warfare Group SIX (NR CWG-6), which is the largest reserve Information Warfare (IW) unit in the nation and its Commanding Officer, Capt. Christopher Isakson, was tasked with organizing the new command.

“We’re executing national leadership’s strategy by establishing the first reserve unit dedicated to a truly unified IW mission for Cryptologic Technician Network (CTN), Information Systems Technician (IT), and Intelligence Specialist (IS) ratings,” said Isakson. “National leadership authorized 298 enlisted (CPT) billets and we anticipate additional reserve units will be created in the near future.”

The unit’s first Officer-in-Charge will be Lt. Cmdr. Trulea Craig and the Senior Enlisted Leader will be Senior Chief Petty Officer Kevin Siegers. Members of the new unit will be required to complete rigorous training before they are operational; that includes the eight week long Intermediate Cyber Course (ICC). Given the dynamic nature of cyber threats, training will be an ongoing requirement, which is why orders to the new unit will be for five years instead of the usual three.

“This warfare domain is rapidly evolving and isn’t constrained by the laws of physics,” said Craig. “It’s a challenge to operate in an enduring conflict that will never go away.”

CWG-6’s primary mission is to deliver information warfare capabilities to the Navy by
providing and deploying trained Sailors, expertise, and equipment to support signals intelligence
and cyberspace operations for naval and joint forces.

For more information and news from CWG-6, visit www.public.navy.mil/fltfor/cwg6 or www.facebook.com/CWGSIX

For more information and news from CWG-6, visit www.public.navy.mil/fltfor/cwg6 or www.facebook.com/CWGSIX.

Get more information about the Navy from U.S. Navy facebook or twitter.

For more news from Commander, U.S. Fleet Cyber Command/U.S. 10th Fleet, visit www.navy.mil/local/FCCC10F/.

• Date Taken: 03.07.2020
• Date Posted: 03.09.2020 11:52
• Story ID: 364792
• Location: BALTIMORE, MD, US