Vice Adm. Michael S. Rogers, Commander of the U.S. Fleet Cyber Command/U.S. 10th Fleet (FCC/C10F), spent an afternoon addressing a contingent of Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) Information Dominance Corps (IDC) students during an all hands call on the university campus, Jan. 8.
Rogers spoke about the important role the IDC has in today’s cyber-dependent world, and the important role education and training play in achieving the nation’s cyber defense goals. He said that FCC/C10F has made significant progress in promoting cyber situational awareness and integrating cyberspace operations into traditional maritime operations.
“To preserve the Navy’s cyber warfighting advantage,” said Rogers, “we must continue to develop an elite workforce that is recruited, trained and educated to better understand the maritime environment, employ the latest technology advances, and deliver cyber warfighting capability anywhere around the world.”
Rogers recognized that there were still substantial challenges to overcome due to the inherent characteristics and rapid technological change of the field. He noted that the cyber community was making significant progress in effecting changes and improvements to the field, but it was up to every member in the IDC to take steps to continue with these goals. Rogers emphasized the importance of training and educating the next generation of cyber warriors to tackle the challenges of the future.
“I want us to be prepared for the challenges of the future,” continued Rogers. “But it’s up to you to become the solution, to take charge of our future and face those challenges.”
He went on to say that it is imperative to maintain a highly motivated and highly trained force that can tackle any challenge that may arise, and talked about the critical role NPS offers its students to succeed in these efforts.
“Monterey offers you a unique opportunity to learn and challenge yourselves,” said Rogers. “The Center for Excellence is an outstanding resource and knowledge base for you to take benefit from, I urge you to take advantage of your time here and maximize your learning experience.”
The Center for Excellence Rogers referred to is NPS’ Information Dominance Center for Excellence, led by Executive Director Cmdr. Tim Unrein. Over the years, NPS has been implementing educational and research programs to help the Navy achieve the knowledge and skill base required for its IDC goals. Unrein noted how student question and answer sessions with senior IDC leaders like Rogers provide operational relevance and perspective to their studies.
“With military cyber capabilities growing and changing so rapidly, it is critical for IDC students to understand how cyber fits into the broader picture of national defense,” said Unrein. “Vice Adm. Rogers’ visit is a valuable chance for IDC officers at NPS to gain perspective into how the education and skills they gain here will be used in the cyber domain, and how that domain is interlinked with operations in other warfighting domains such as air, surface, subsurface and land.”