Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Modest Proposal. Treat computer geeks like the band!


I personally feel like the Marine Corps needs to leave the cyber warfare terrain to the US Navy when it comes to sea service participation, but since HQMC insists on setting up the unit I have a modest proposal.  Recruit the best possible candidates by treating cyber like we treat the band.  Check this out from Wikipedia...
The Marine Band recruits experienced musicians; members are selected through a rigorous audition procedure and must satisfy additional security and physical requirements to be eligible. Selected band members serve under a four-year contract as active dutyenlisted Marines and are subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice and physical standards. They are the only members of theUnited States Armed Forces not required to undergo recruit training and do not perform combat missions. Also, they are not assigned to any unit other than the Marine Band.
The band members start at the rank of Staff Sergeant, and wear rank insignia with a lyre replacing the normal crossed rifles. Commissioned officers are drawn from the band, although drum majors are career Marines and are selected from Fleet Marine Force bands, as they are responsible for the military development of the band's members.
What would we get?  We'd get computer geeks that have no interest in fighting but still want to be Marines and serve their country.

We would have to develop some type of assessment to see if they're good enough at their skill to warrant the privilege of wearing the uniform but if they have the skill then we can get them up to standards physically.

We could replace the crossed rifles with a computer keyboard or whatever you want to represent cyberwarfare and suddenly we have patriotic hackers in Marine uniform.

Admittedly this is a rough sketch but it works.  Now get it done and toss out the battlefield role for the units.  They can do it long distance like we do UAVs and have all these critters stationed at Quantico so we can have them in one place to keep an eye on them.

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