Photo By Steven Stover | FORT BELVOIR, Va. – Col. Willie Rodney, commander, 1st Information Operations...... read more read more
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Army to create new Theater Information Advantage Detachments
By Staff Sgt. Matthew Garrett, U.S. Army Cyber Command, and Maj. Ally Raposa, 1st IO Command
FORT BELVOIR, Va. – After more than two decades of supporting the mission in the information advantage domain, the U.S. Army’s 1st Information Operations Command (1st IO) officially cased its colors today in an inactivation ceremony here in the Thurman Auditorium at Humphrey Hall, May 8.
Lt. Gen. Maria B. Barrett, commanding general, U.S. Army Cyber Command (ARCYBER) presided over the ceremony, along with Col. Willie Rodney, the commander of 1st IO, and Command Sgt. Maj. Naomi Smith, the brigade’s senior enlisted leader.
Fellow 1st IO and Land Information Warfare Activity (LIWA) Soldiers and Civilians – past and present – families, and Army senior leaders, all gathered to commemorate the legacy of the unit that has stood at the forefront of information warfare since its activation in 2002.
“For more than two decades, the Soldiers and leaders of 1st IO have been at the forefront of information warfare, adapting to every challenge and shaping the Army’s cyber capabilities. Their contributions have been instrumental in securing our nation’s interests in an ever-changing battlefield,” said Lt. Gen. Barrett. “As we transition into the next era of Multi-Domain Operations, we carry forward the lessons learned and the expertise honed by 1st IO, ensuring that our cyber forces remain agile, resilient, and ready for the challenges ahead.”
Since 2002, 1st IO has provided forces to synchronize information capabilities and prepare forces to resist adversary information warfare while providing specialized IO training to enable Army and Joint forces to achieve information advantage. The unit’s mission constantly evolved as the landscape of the battlefield has changed, requiring 1st IO to adapt to meet emerging threats and shape the Army’s information warfare capabilities.
The decision to deactivate 1st IO comes as part of a broader transformation across ARCYBER, aimed at consolidating capabilities and aligning with Multi-Domain Operations (MDO) by 2030.
“Change will inevitably come. You can fight it and become irrelevant, or you can understand it and influence it to achieve desired outcomes that still fits the vision,” stated Col. Rodney.
Though the colors were cased, leaders emphasized that the spirit and mission of 1st IO will live on in the Army’s ongoing cyber and information operations efforts.
“The inactivation of the command means the Army is turning a page. It doesn’t mean what the command has done is not still relevant, it just means we are going to do it a different way. 1st IO and IO writ large were created because the Army didn’t know how to integrate non-kinetics into the fight,” said Col. Rodney. “The rise of MDO demands the Army integrate the capabilities that are executed in domains other than air, land, and sea are in incorporated in the scheme of maneuver and the overall operations process. The need for IO is not going away with the command; rather, the Army is forcing it to be integrated throughout the service and its forces. Overall, it’s a step toward where we’ve always wanted/needed to go.”
The casing of the colors marks the official conclusion of the commands’ mission, with elements and personnel being reassigned to continue their work under new organizational structure to continue the mission. The inactivation marked a pivotal moment in Army history as the command transitions its mission sets and talent to support new information superiority units aligned to MDO 2030 objectives.
The Army’s establishment of TIADs (Theater Information Advantage Detachment) represents a transformation in the way the Army presents information forces to commanders.
The TIADs will operationalize information advantage by integrating sensing, understanding, decision-making, and action into the theater fight by enabling convergence across warfighting functions in support of Multi-Domain Operations. This ensures information is not just an enabler, but a decisive element in shaping operations, influencing adversaries, and achieving strategic outcomes across all domains.
Victory Through the Power of Information
Operate, Defend, Attack, Influence, Inform, Integrate
References
Alvarez, K. (2024, October 22). Army Cyber Command leaders outline Theater Information Detachment concept. U.S. Army. Retrieved from https://www.army.mil/article/280728/army_cyber_command_leaders_outline_theater_information_detachment_concept.
Alvarez, K. (2024, September 17). Active Army’s only Information Operations Command prepares for future stand-down, U.S. Army. Retrieved from https://www.army.mil/article/279672/active_armys_only_information_operations_command_prepares_for_future_stand_down.
1st IO Command Unit History
• 1991 – Concept begins during Gulf War
• 1995 – Headquarters Department of the Army activated LIWAA under U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command
• 1996 – Gen. Reimer issues IO strategy
• 2002 – 1st IO activated
• 2003–2025 – Field Support Teams deployed to support Combatant Commands
• 2011 –ARCYBER assumes Operational Control
• 2015 – Cyber red team missions expand
• 2021 – Reassignment of 1st IO to ARCYBER
• 2024 – Army Structure Inactivation order issued
• 2025 – Theater Information Advantage Detachments
| Date Taken: | 05.08.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 05.08.2025 22:44 |
| Story ID: | 497468 |
| Location: | FORT BELVOIR, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 86 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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