ICYMI, the Navy has revealed a new plan to onboard Cyber talent directly from the civilian sector.Announced in a Navy Times article, the program would recruit cyber experts for entry into the Navy at the ranks of Chief Petty Officer and Captain.
From the article:
“We’re seeking the authority to bring somebody in at the E-7 level or up to the O-6 level,” said Vice Adm. Robert Burke in May. The Navy already direct accesses officer candidates with special experience, like lawyers and doctors, to ranks up to lieutenant commander.
Navy officials want this expanded authority to fill critical needs in existing career fields and to build new capability fast.
“Right now, the one we’re focused on is the cyber [community] because that’s the immediate need,” said Burke, who took over as the chief of naval personnel in May after a year overseeing personnel plans and policy. “But we want this authority in place so that we could use it where those needs arise, because we want to be responsive when the need comes — we don’t want to start writing policy the minute we discover we need it.”
You can read the entire piece here.
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Discuss.
v/r
Chuck
Station HYPO 
27 June 2016 at 20:57
Do they need to be commissioned officers or chiefs? Can't they be accessed as DoN civilians? I can see putting them in uniform if they are going to sea, but if the position is at C10F is putting them in uniform really needed.
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27 June 2016 at 21:25
I've wondered the exact same thing. I mean, at that level, as a “New Accession” will they be able to perform the mission we want them to based on their expertise AND “Navy” based on their same paygrade. Will they be expected to understand the nuances of the man, train and equip piece, all the admin and policy nuances they'd be expected to navigate for themselves and more importantly others under their charge. I mean, Yes! We need the talent, there's no question there, but is there a more effective way to bring that talent in and probably more importantly utilize that talent, is the thought that it'd be easier to utilize certain talents under a military code of conduct, if you will, rather than civilian.
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28 June 2016 at 03:51
Yes, we need high-level expertise in these critical fields. However, how will directly commissioning CAPTs and CPOs affect those hard-charging CDRs and FCPOs in line for those ranks? Will there be less quotas available now for those dedicated personnel to advance to those ranks they have earned? If we instantly gratify our cyber talent, is that going to cause us to lose talent in the long run because there wasn't enough space to advance more leaders before they're forced out? Last I recall, Congress sets a cap on how many CAPTs the Navy can have.
Also, are we really getting the cream of the crop for those who choose military service? It's obvious that people with those years of experience can make much more money in the private sector, so would we be getting those who weren't as competitive in the private sector?
Questions for thought.
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29 June 2016 at 09:52
Many of our reservists are no different. We allow them to wear a uniform with very little military experience in hopes of leveraging their civilian skills. With a few exceptions, using the RC as an example, this is already a failed experiment based on the very questions you ask.
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29 June 2016 at 14:33
Lots of great questions posed here. I've said it before, it's not about rank…it's about compensation.
http://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2015-05/deckplates-matter-compensation-not-rank
If it takes rank (e.g. status) to attract a candidate, perhaps we don't need that person.
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29 June 2016 at 23:34
What about authority? With rank comes authority. Isn't that piece important for some positions?
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