Drop Marine Standards for "Cyber Warriors?"

[rangerrebew]

   
Drop Marine Standards for "Cyber Warriors?"
Mark Cancian, Proceedings Magazine July 26, 2017


The previous administration proposed many trendy personnel ideas in its waning days.  One that has been resurrected after initially being rejected is the idea of recruiting Marines directly into a cyber corps, where they don't have to do all that “Marine stuff,” such as enduring 12 weeks of boot camp, attending the school of infantry, or firing weapons. They would be “cyber warriors” who work in dark rooms and do wonders on the Internet. Cyber has, indeed, become an important domain of warfare, and the Marine Corps needs experts who can operate in that domain; however, the Corps should not drop its standards to put specialists into uniform. Instead, it should use government employees and contractors where it cannot recruit enough Marines to fill the required number of cyber “specialist” positions.

http://www.realcleardefense.com/2017/07/26/drop_marine_standards_for_quotcyber_warriorsquot_295250.html

[DB]

Makes sense to me.

Entirely a different form of warfare.

[Taxcontrol]

I am a former US Army Infantry Sergeant and currently a 50+ year old cyber security professional.  While I understand the need for cyber professionals, I am of the opinion that they do not belong in the military forces.  I believe that they would be better as part of a corps that is organized under the intelligence services.

[Polly Ticks]

[...] they don't have to do all that “Marine stuff,” such as enduring 12 weeks of boot camp, attending the school of infantry, or firing weapons. They [...] work in dark rooms and do wonders on the Internet.

I see that stereotyping is still alive and well.

[jpsb]

No. It is a basic tenet of the Marine Corp that every Marine is a 301 (rifleman).

[thackney]

Makes sense to me.

Entirely a different form of warfare.

Not to me.  No reason to pretend they are Marines if they don't meet the standard.  Let them be another group, they can still work with the Marines, same as the Navy provides transportation and other support services for Marines.

[InHeavenThereIsNoBeer]

This is a Marine, getting in a quick workout:



This is not a Marine, getting in a quick workout:

[driftdiver]

This is a Marine, getting in a quick workout:



This is not a Marine, getting in a quick workout:

I spent almost a year living next to Marines.  Most are not built like that guy, certainly more in shape then the average hiker though.

[DB]

Not to me.  No reason to pretend they are Marines if they don't meet the standard.  Let them be another group, they can still work with the Marines, same as the Navy provides transportation and other support services for Marines.

It is real simple. If the marines want to be on the front lines of cyber warfare they have to have the type of people who excel at it. Very different mind set, very different mode of operation. Warfare is changing and you adapt or die.