WEBVTT 00:00.949 --> 00:04.900 I am currently the public affairs 00:04.900 --> 00:07.380 adviser for the director of the Army 00:07.380 --> 00:09.699 National Guard up in Virginia . So 00:09.699 --> 00:11.866 public communication has changed a lot 00:11.866 --> 00:14.100 regarding cyber operations for a long 00:14.100 --> 00:16.540 time we really wanted to keep that at 00:16.540 --> 00:19.850 the classified level or be concerned 00:19.850 --> 00:21.860 about messaging what our cyber 00:21.860 --> 00:24.260 capabilities were to our adversaries , 00:24.370 --> 00:26.537 and now we've really opened up because 00:26.537 --> 00:28.819 we know that part of that cyber defense 00:28.819 --> 00:31.138 game is letting our . Adversaries know 00:31.138 --> 00:33.858 exactly how good we are at our job . I 00:33.858 --> 00:36.080 think that we're kind of at a precipice 00:36.080 --> 00:38.487 for that , which is how do we maintain 00:38.487 --> 00:41.178 operational security . We've all been 00:41.178 --> 00:43.897 taught that , and we want to ensure 00:43.897 --> 00:45.841 that we're not talking about troop 00:45.841 --> 00:48.008 movements , but at the same time we do 00:48.008 --> 00:51.217 want to tell our adversaries what we 00:51.217 --> 00:53.928 are capable of . From a PA perspective , 00:54.057 --> 00:56.279 I think the most difficult part is just 00:56.279 --> 00:59.175 the the imagery . Of the events because 00:59.175 --> 01:01.785 the individuals are on computers , they 01:01.785 --> 01:05.216 are working on a cyber range and not a 01:05.216 --> 01:07.383 physical range , but they're doing the 01:07.383 --> 01:09.605 same thing . They're just shooting with 01:09.605 --> 01:11.716 the cyber bullets and so getting that 01:11.716 --> 01:13.935 over the shoulder perspective really 01:13.935 --> 01:16.136 becomes about the people of the 01:16.136 --> 01:18.025 exercise and what the exercise is 01:18.025 --> 01:20.303 accomplishing . Once we hit the ground , 01:20.303 --> 01:22.414 we hit the ground running . The first 01:22.414 --> 01:24.525 week is a lot of training , but we're 01:24.525 --> 01:26.747 getting to know our . Like affairs team 01:26.747 --> 01:28.636 I've got folks coming in from all 01:28.636 --> 01:30.803 different states so the first few days 01:30.803 --> 01:32.747 we're getting to know each other , 01:32.747 --> 01:34.358 getting to know what our our 01:34.358 --> 01:36.580 capabilities are . We're both from army 01:36.580 --> 01:38.692 and air , and I lean in on the people 01:38.692 --> 01:40.636 stories that tell like kind of the 01:40.636 --> 01:43.134 metadata of CyberShield . It's the sons 01:43.134 --> 01:45.414 and fathers , it's the husbands and 01:45.414 --> 01:47.853 wives . It's the uh the state 01:47.853 --> 01:50.613 partnership programs that are in the 01:50.613 --> 01:52.835 exercise together . And the jointness , 01:53.052 --> 01:55.491 I think as public affairs specialists 01:55.491 --> 01:57.772 and officers that we have to approach 01:57.772 --> 02:01.412 every exercise with a way to find the 02:01.412 --> 02:04.491 story and right now the story is the 02:04.491 --> 02:07.311 people . So I've loved my job ever 02:07.311 --> 02:09.701 since as a public affairs officer , but 02:09.701 --> 02:12.042 I have the ability to talk about 02:12.042 --> 02:16.011 technical things such as cyber , so 02:16.011 --> 02:18.178 it kind of gives me the leg up here in 02:18.178 --> 02:19.178 CyberShield . 02:27.500 --> 02:30.839 But I had a penchant for technology and 02:30.839 --> 02:32.672 I thought I was going to be a uh 02:32.672 --> 02:34.450 technical writer . I joined the 02:34.450 --> 02:36.759 military and uh and then became a 02:36.759 --> 02:40.039 signal officer uh and then uh after uh 02:40.039 --> 02:42.206 being a captain , uh , they came to me 02:42.206 --> 02:44.206 and they said , Do you want to be a 02:44.206 --> 02:46.372 public affairs and uh and take command 02:46.372 --> 02:48.539 of an MPAD and I said , What's an MPAD 02:48.539 --> 02:50.428 you know , it's uh I think public 02:50.428 --> 02:52.650 affairs is one of the best kept secrets 02:52.650 --> 02:52.279 in the military .