Cyberspace AFSC

Lol I just realized this thread was started a year ago and someone just commented on this making it seem knew. But if @AFSPC_USAF or anyone else can still answer these questions it'd be appreciated.
 
@Non
I also just received 17D as my AFSC. It was #3 on my list so there's still so much I don't know about it. First of thank you for offering up your experience to us.

1) Is there anything I should do to prepare for UCT? I'm an Engineering major and have minimal, but not super functional knowledge of CS.
2) How long is UCT? Are there different phases? What's the pipeline like (i.e. how long are people's EAD's from the time they graduate?)
3) Where can you go as a 17D? What are the big cyber bases that people get sent to....is getting stationed in Washington State a possibility? Are there opportunities to get stationed abroad?
4) What's the big difference between Delta and Sierra classifications? Is 17S where the top performers go?
5) As much as you can tell us, what is your typical day/week like? What do you spend most of your time doing, as an officer is there more managing people, briefing others, do you do any technical work yourself?

Sorry for not getting back to you sooner. But I will be more than happy to answer your questions and any other follow on.

1. So UCT is 6 months of intensive training at Keesler AFB. To prepare for UCT, I would personally recommend getting familiar with command line on windows and utilizing terminal on Kali Linux (or any flavor of linux). Since I been out the school house for a year and a half now I'm not sure how much the curriculum has changed but I'm thinking not much. UCT will provide you all the tools needed to succeed. Just get ready for long hours (12-14hr) days as you enter phase II of the training. This is due to not being able to take classified material home.

2. As said before it is 6 months long and broken up into two phases. Depending on whether you get 17D or 17S, you will go to Hurlburt Field, FL to training a specific weapon system. From my previous understanding 17Ds won't go to Hurlburt Field, they will go directly to their next unit. So lets say after drop night you get a 17S slot at the 92 Cyber Operations Squadron at Lackland AFB. After Keesler you will go to Hurlburt to train on the Cyberspace Vulnerability Assessment/Hunter system then head to Lackland. I got my orders one week before i shipped out. So it was like waiting, waiting, waiting, then hey you're leaving next week.

3. As a 17D you have the option to go anywhere in the world. I kid you not, the bases are endless. There are 17Ds at Ramstein Air Base, Hawaii, Guam. Lackland AFB is the cyber hub for the AF, and also 24th AF is located there. The possibility of being station in Washington state depends on whether or not a need for a 17D is needed at a certain base and then its all about the AF needs.

4. 17S are IMO more on the technical side when it comes to cyber and 17D are also technical but are more on the managerial side. In AFPC world there is no such thing as a 17S as they fall under the core AFSC 17D. So think of 17S as a shred out. Yes, the schoolhouse tends to give 17S to top performers but that does not mean we are superior to 17Ds, 17S just have a more in-depth follow-on technical training.

*Side Note*- There a training program called the Computer Network Operations Development Program (CNODP) taught by the NSA. It is a 3 yr long program/tour in which you get a extremely in-depth training on cyber methodology among other things. This program is highly and oh very highly selective.

5. My typical work week is "Your an Officer first". Very few officers in our career field are actually hands-on keyboard, and if they are expect leadership opportunities to fall upon you (i.e., writing OPRS/EPRS, briefing leadership). I personally love the technical stuff but I love working and managing people as well. Right now I'm working on my next assignment. I'm considering the 1st Combat Communications (Ramstein), Joint Communications Unit (Ft. Bragg), or White House Communication Agency in DC.
 
Well unfortunatelyI can't PM but I'll just ask on here! Is cyber part of space command? Also I heard/read something about USCyberCOMM coming into place, do you anything about this??
 
Well unfortunatelyI can't PM but I'll just ask on here! Is cyber part of space command? Also I heard/read something about USCyberCOMM coming into place, do you anything about this??

The United States Cyber Command is a sub-unified command under US STRATCOM. 24th AF handles all the cyber missions for the USAF. Although, you can be a cyber guy/girl in a squadron that falls under any MAJCOM (i.e. ACC, AFGSC, AMC etc). There are cyber individuals that serve in acquisitions, cyber squadrons, and base communications. "The command centralizes command of cyberspace operations, organizes existing cyber resources and synchronizes defense of U.S. military networks" (Wikipedia). To give you a insight search on google: "US Cyber Command Organization Chart" to give yourself a better understanding as it can get tiresome to type it all out. Also look up "Cyber Red Team" and "Cyber Blue Team", as there are specific squadrons in the USAF that has these mission sets to help harden and defend USAF networks.
 
As you know the Army created the Cyber Branch around two years ago and an Army Cyber Command not too long ago.

Does each service (Army, Navy and Air Force) have different roles?

If you had to choose a service if you wanted to do cyber, which one would you recommend?
 
As you know the Army created the Cyber Branch around two years ago and an Army Cyber Command not too long ago.

Does each service (Army, Navy and Air Force) have different roles?

If you had to choose a service if you wanted to do cyber, which one would you recommend?

From my understanding, each branch overall mission is to defend their respective networks within the DISA enclave. Each branch has their own "red & blue" cyber teams to carry out taskers given out from their commander. If I had to choose I would stick with the AF. Keep in mind that if your are in the Army, you are a soldier first and your "job" is second. I've seen a lot of cyber officers in the Army partake in the standard field exercises like all Army soldiers, some people has desk jobs (which is cool) and some are doing "tactical" cyber jobs (which is also cool). Although, there are plenty of joint jobs you can apply for to be more tactical regardless of which branch you are in (i.e. JCU, JSOC, JCSE). Thankfully, the DoD relies heavily on the NSA for cyber expertise and they are pretty bad ass when it comes to cyber.
 
From my understanding, each branch overall mission is to defend their respective networks within the DISA enclave. Each branch has their own "red & blue" cyber teams to carry out taskers given out from their commander. If I had to choose I would stick with the AF. Keep in mind that if your are in the Army, you are a soldier first and your "job" is second. I've seen a lot of cyber officers in the Army partake in the standard field exercises like all Army soldiers, some people has desk jobs (which is cool) and some are doing "tactical" cyber jobs (which is also cool). Although, there are plenty of joint jobs you can apply for to be more tactical regardless of which branch you are in (i.e. JCU, JSOC, JCSE). Thankfully, the DoD relies heavily on the NSA for cyber expertise and they are pretty bad *** when it comes to cyber.
Thanks for the response.

Most importantly, thank you for your service to our Country.
 
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