FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, Md. – U.S. Cyber Command hosted the 13th Reserve Cyber and Signal Intelligence Summit on February 20 and 21 in the Freidman Conference Center and brought together over 260 Reserve and National Guard members from 10 different states.
The event marked a significant milestone as the first to unite U.S. Cyber Command, National Security Agency and Central Security Service under the authorities of Gen. Timothy Haugh.
The summit’s goal is to foster integration initiatives with the command, allowing Reservists and Guardsmen to showcase their abilities and discuss how they can support the Command and Agency’s missions.
Regional exercises such as the National Guard’s Cyber Yankee, allow Reserve units to engage with state, academia, and industry to further cyber security and response to critical infrastructure. By working closely with these outside partners, it allows for greater proficiency and synchronization in the event of a real-world crisis.
These events create the partnerships necessary to respond to attacks on local infrastructure. With the advent of Cybercom 2.0, the event also provided a platform to explore how reserve components can contribute to its success.
To ensure Reserve and Guard components maintain strategic advantage in the cyber domain, working groups are scheduled to address topics such as recruitment, training, and requirements for support.
Highlights and Impacts
Gen. Haugh and Chief Master Sgt. Kenneth Bruce Jr., Senior Enlisted Leader, spoke at the summit and gave insights into where reserve components fit within U.S. Cyber Command’s strategy and how those components can support the command’s objectives.
The summit offered opportunities for attendees to forge personal connections, to work issues of mutual interest, and to learn from each other, which can lead to accelerating projects forward and enhanced collaboration among the cyber and SIGINT community.
Reserve and Guard units showcased how they are an asset for cyber and SIGINT talent retention. This was exemplified in the presentation by the Air Force’s 960th Cyberspace Operations Group, Detachment 1’s pilot program.
Through accessing qualified cyber professionals into the Reserve Component, it enables members to continue to the serve at a significant cost savings to the DoD. This initiative demonstrated scalable strategies to prevent the loss of top cyber talent.
Looking Ahead
The Reserve Cyber and SIGINT Summit not only underscored the reserves’ critical role in U.S. Cyber Command’s mission but also left a lasting impression through the connections forged and the collaborative spirit ignited.
Future summits aim to involve more directorate leadership and continue improvement based on lessons learned.
The next Reserve Cyber and Signal Intelligence Summit is scheduled to take place spring of 2026.