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Essay / Cyber-military: an evolution in command relationships
United States Cyber Command is less than four years old. The merger and disestablishment of the Joint Functional Component Command for Network Warfare (JFCC-NW) and the Joint Task Force for Global Network Operations (JTF-GNO) made up the bulk of the new organization. 9 This new construct integrated offensive and defensive cyber capabilities into a single organization, enabling effective and efficient planning and execution of operations in cyberspace. U.S. Cyber Command is responsible for operations to defend DOD information networks and conduct military operations in full-spectrum cyberspace across all domains. U.S. Cyber Command is also responsible for ensuring America's freedom of action in cyberspace and denying freedom of action to our adversaries. This freedom of action requires clear relationships to reach its full potential. In a GAO report presented to Congress in July 2011, we find the following: DoD has assigned authorities and responsibilities for implementing cyber operations between combatant commands and the military services; however, the supporting relationships necessary to achieve command and control of cyber operations remain unclear. According to the National Military Strategy for Cyberspace Operations, we can only achieve superiority in cyberspace if command and control relationships are clearly defined. 11The goal of reaching the full potential of cyberspace operations begins by establishing close relationships between cyberservice components and finding the best way to support CCGs. This process is ongoing and is constantly re-evaluated. The creation of USCYBERCOM was important. This elevates cyberspace in the mind of the warrior and in the mind of the planner. If we want to operationalize cyber, it needs to be in the middle of paper… the scale of the improvements that the next evolution will bring. Works Cited11 United States Government Accountability Office: Report to Congressional Requesters, “Defense Department Cyber Efforts: DoD Faces Challenges in Its Cyber Activities,” US Government Accountability Office, Washington, DC, May 2011, page 6, http:/ /www.gao.gov/assets/330/321818.pdf12 Andrew Fecikert, “The Unified Command Plan and Combatant Commands: Background and Questions for Congress.” Congressional Research Service, CRS Report for Congress, www.crs.gov, http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/R42077.pdf, page 1513 Joint Publication 3-05, “Special Operations,” http: //www.dtic.mil/doctrine/new_pubs/jp3_05.pdf, April 18, 2011, page III-214 Zachary Fryer-Biggs, “US Regional Commanders Get New Cyber Muscle,” Defensenews.com, http://www. defensenews.com/article/20120609/DEFREG02/306090001/, June 9, 2012