For the first time, the Army is offering direct commissions for cyber soldiers.
The Army has developed a program to commission civilians as officers in the Army's cyber operations and wants to spread the word. That would mean joining as a First Lieutenant or higher as an active duty officer. It also means an eight-year hitch, with at least three on active duty and the rest in the Reserves or National Guard.
Officers entering military service must complete a total of eight years of service with at least three years on active duty, followed by service in the U.S. Army Reserve or Army National Guard.
The program has been on the drawing board since earlier this year, but is now being implemented. Direct commissions have previously been available for medical personnel, chaplains and the legal field, but it is being extended to cyber for the first time.
Generally the Army is looking for a few good men and women with a four-year degree, master’s degree, or doctorate in computer science or a related field.
As cyber officers, they will "build tools and devices, write algorithms, ciphers, programs and scripts, and conduct research based on their current industry expertise."
(Photo via U.S. Army Materiel Command's Flickr. Photo was taken November 19, 2012 using a Creative Commons License 2.0. Photo was cropped and resized to fit 16x9 aspect ratio).
