Billet Night for the USCGA Class of 2024 - Thursday 7 March 2024

[Haveaniceday]

My son is a USCGA 2/C Class of 2025 cyber systems major. Also, there's value added to this reply to admit that I am a 20-year retired USN Electronics Technician, and for the past 14 years-post retirement, have worked as a Department of Defense Electronics Technician contractor. Like you, I thought the cyber systems curriculum was light on technical hands-on instruction. I frequently ask my son, "Well, can you fabricate a CAT-6 ethernet connector yet? Do you know how to use a ethernet cable tester? Have they instructed you on fiber optics and how to make a fiber optic connector?" I can go on and on, and his replies are always, "Not yet." At my current job, I work with computer science majors, software engineers, electrical engineers, etc. I have told them my fears that, "Although they are being taught theory, coding, cyber intrusion detection / mitigation / investigation, and the mathematics involved, I worry that he's not receiving enough hands-on with networks." They all tell me, "Do not worry. He'll learn the hands-on stuff after graduation, especially with the fine enlisted personnel he will work with. It is critical that he learns the theory and has the brainpower to absorb, remember, and utilize what he learns after graduation." During the 2023 Parents Weekend, I was honored to attend Database, Linear Algebra, Operating Systems, and Introduction to Cryptology classes with my son. The class work was intense and within seconds after classes commenced, the material they were learning rapidly ascended to high-level coding and mathematics that I, as an electronics technician, couldn't even fathom! This 2/C to 1/C summer, my son is 99.9% sure he will intern with Microsoft and learn / work directly with Microsoft cyber intrusion protection teams (protecting Microsoft customers), in addition to afterwards, serving somewhere on a cutter. I'm sure that my son's class and lab work 3/C and 2/C years coupled with both his internship and senior year's CAPSTONE project work will focus his mind as to the importance of his future work in the fleet.

Another consideration as to the value of USCGA's cyber systems program is their accreditation status. USCGA's cyber systems program is accredited by the National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security. More importantly, my son informed me that late last year that the cyber systems program received Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) certification. Regardless of engineering discipline, ABET-accreditation is the gold standard. ***NOTE The uscga.edu Cyber Systems webpage is not updated with the ABET accreditation, yet. I have no idea why not.***

My next comments might be totally wrong, but please hear me out, because convexly, I might be correct. First and foremost, never forget that USCGA's mission is to produce professional USCG officers to lead the men and women who serve (enlisted and later junior officers as they progress through promotion during their careers). Their academic major is not the end-all be-all to determine their career paths (case and point - There are Management and Government majors who qualify for flight school. Some cyber systems majors go directly to the USCG fleet and serve at sea. Most civil engineering majors go directly to the USCG fleet, etc.). For most officers, it is not important that they are subject matter experts on anything and everything related to the project they've been designated to lead. What's more important is that they have the managerial ability and engineering / technical thought processes mastered to lead the project. The subject matter experts can be that officer or the subordinates working under that officer. That being said, throughout their 3/C and 2/C years (and probably 1/C year also), USCG Cyber Systems Command-assigned officers (also NSA and DHS personnel) routinely visit USCGA and participate with the students, giving lectures, running laboratory experiments, and executing cyber security exercises in-class. For the past two "billet nights" I've seen the students who were selected to go straight to CG Cyber Command directly after graduation. I wonder if they requested those billets and how much of the observations by the visiting CG Cyber Command officers (and NSA and DHS personnel) and their subsequent recommendations had to do with the graduating students' selections for CG Cyber Command. Additionally, most cyber systems students visit CG Cyber Command multiple times during their 3/C and 2/C years. What I'm trying to say is that there are many eyes watching and rating the students' performances throughout their 3/C - 1/C years, not only USCGA staff, but also, real-world CG Cyber Command officers. If someone shines very brightly, I'm sure their path to work exclusively in the cyber community is assured. I hope I didn't bore the readers with my lengthy dissertation.

Thanks @JayInHenderson for the insight into being a Cyber Major at USCGA. You made some great points and the outline of your son's actual experience is very helpful. The major does seem like it would be both interesting and fun.

To your point of officers being able to manage programs/people and not just be technical experts, of the 5 or 6 cadets selected to Cyber this Billet night, my unconfirmed rumor mill sources say they include Cyber majors, Electrical Engineers, Mechanical Engineers and Ops Research/Data Analytics cadets, so I assume class rank still is a big factor in assignments.

Based on Class of 2027 data posted elsewhere, it appears the Cyber major gets between 40-50 applicants per year.

 

[SamAca10]

Thanks @JayInHenderson for the insight into being a Cyber Major at USCGA. You made some great points and the outline of your son's actual experience is very helpful. The major does seem like it would be both interesting and fun.

To your point of officers being able to manage programs/people and not just be technical experts, of the 5 or 6 cadets selected to Cyber this Billet night, my unconfirmed rumor mill sources say they include Cyber majors, Electrical Engineers, Mechanical Engineers and Ops Research/Data Analytics cadets, so I assume class rank still is a big factor in assignments.

Based on Class of 2027 data posted elsewhere, it appears the Cyber major gets between 40-50 applicants per year.

Good insights on all and your previous comments. I'll detail some of my career path below. I was an EE major at the Academy. I would have done the cyber systems major personally as well if it was around. I enjoyed the CS portion of the computer systems track, but did not like all of the signal processing courses. A mix of computer science principles, as well as researching cyber policy and white papers, would have been very much up my alley.

My career:
2 years - DWO on a big white hull. Managed 11 guys, ETs, ITs, and FTs (Fire control technicians). Worked with my contacts closely at C3CEN and figured out a fleet wide bug issue with SEAWATCH, the ECDIS. Oversaw a lot of grooms and installs. Had a hard time during my DWO tour, but so much of that stress and BS I dealt with better prepared me as an over all leader.
3 years - Intelligence Officer at a Sector. Worked closely with DEA, Secret Service, FBI, HSI, other state and local entities on anti-terrorism (we had 3 terrorist attacks during my time that we supplied information on within the JTTF), counter-drug, and cyber attacks to the port. I helped stand up the cyber subcommittee of the maritime security committee in my port.

Since getting out:
Entered the world of cyber and data consulting. I'm verging on the edge of becoming a security expert in my particular branch of cybersecurity. I've helped out Federal government, financial institutions, healthcare orgs, and the DoD solve their data issues. I'll start a part time MBA this fall with my GI Bill to broaden. I used to travel a lot for work, but now am mostly remote with the rare client on-site or conference to go meet customers, partners, and speak on a particular topic related to my niche. For context, I make well over an O6's salary. I'd just now be putting on O4 if I was still in.

From what I've seen through helping out different DoD customers, there's real value in actually being operational. Yes, I won't discount the technical need for officers and technical warfare. However, anyone should be well-aware that the enlisted personnel will likely have the ability to earn more right out the gate...they are usually more hands-on keyboard than the JOs. The contractors are the real expertise at these units, not the active duty...the best cyber people in the military tend to be reservists/guardsman who do their roles on the outside as contractors for the DoD or tech companies. Active duty doesn't provide the fostering of great technical skills. Especially with all of the collateral duties thrown at JOs. I'm actually in the process of writing an article to the proceedings on how the military can address some of these issues.

My friends around my time at the Academy who transition into cyber or tech tend to becoming program managers...a lot of them are intimidated by the technical work. I dove headfirst into it. I should reach out to some of my colleagues at the Academy on how they are teaching cadets. I don't think working CAT-6 is necessary at all...that is technician work. It's important to understand the fundamentals of IT, but with such high specialization we need a force that is diverse in skillsets at all levels.

I'd be salty if a cyber major got beat out by say a management major or NAME major for a cyber position. That's reasonable. At the same time, there is so much credence to getting underway and actually doing the bread and butter CG mission as well. From what I've seen of DoD personnel that were never operational out in the field, there is a significant difference. Had a recent USAFA grad come skill bridge at my company (biz role) who just worked acquisitions for 5 years. Never deployed or did anything on-scene.