FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 15, 2009
MEDIA CONTACT: Jeff Sadosky
Sen. Hutchison Applauds Air Force Decision to Base New Air Force Cyber Command at Lackland AFB
Cyber Command HQ Will Bring Jobs & Expanded National Defense Role to San Antonio
WASHINGTON, DC - After a long and rigorous review process, the U.S. Air Force has selected Lackland Air Force Base as the site for the headquarters for the new 24th Air Force, the command responsible for cyber security. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) today applauded the announcement made by Air Force Secretary Michael B. Donley. Based on selection criteria set forth by the Air Force, Lackland was determined to be the best-qualified installation among the six nationwide candidates that were being considered for the base.
The groundwork that began San Antonio’s preeminence as a national center for cyber security and defense of our critical infrastructure began in 2002, when Sen. Hutchison was asked by then-President of the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio Francisco Francisco Cigarroa to secure $3.5 million for the Center for Information Assurance Systems (CIAS) at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). The CIAS originally created a partnership between UTSA and the Air Force Intelligence Agency at Lackland, and today they conduct research on the best ways to protect the nation’s computer network infrastructure, including both hardware and software, from cyberterrorism.
Sen. Hutchison, the ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, has pressed the case for the 24th Air Force being based at Lackland with Air Force leadership, including while meeting with Air Force Chief of Staff General Norton A. Schwartz in March. In February, she also led the entire Texas delegation in sending a letter to Sec. Donley, outlining Lackland’s qualifications and urging the Air Force to set up the Cyber Command in San Antonio.
“Lackland Air Force Base and its dedicated military personnel have the unique and varied attributes that made it the obvious choice. In the past few months, there have been alarming reports of cyber attacks being launched against our nation. The 24th Air Force headquarters at Lackland Air Force Base will help make San Antonio a key component of our national strategy to defeat the cyber threat,” said Sen. Hutchison. “Today’s announcement by the Air Force is great news for San Antonio. I look forward to working with Congress, the Air Force and San Antonio leadership to ensure a smooth and efficient transition process so we can stand up this critical new command as quickly as possible.”
The 24th Air Force, or the branch’s cyber warfare organization, will employ about 400 people, including the commander’s staff and an around-the-clock cyber operations center. Cyber operations will primarily focus on defending Air Force networks against attack and preventing network disruptions. It will also conduct some offensive operations to assess adversaries’ cyber capabilities.
During the selection process, the Air Force considered factors such as existing cyber activities at each base or in close proximity, bandwidth and network capabilities, facilities and infrastructure, security measures, and cyber-related industry and educational institutions nearby.
San Antonio demonstrated that it has an unsurpassed infrastructure of communications networks, personnel, contractors, companies, and higher education and research programs that may directly support cyber missions and information security.
Lackland Air Force Base edged out five other candidates, including Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana; Langley Air Force Base, Virginia; Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska; Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado; and Scott Air Force Base, Illinois.
Lackland is in immediate proximity to several related cyber activities, including NSA’s Texas Cryptologic Center, the Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Agency, the 67th Network Warfare Wing, the Air Force Information Operations Center, the Joint Information Operations Warfare Command, and the Air Force Cryptologic Support Group. Together, these provide an excellent infrastructure support for Lackland as the Air Force stands up the Cyber Command.
--END--
|
