Cadet Cyber
Developing the next generation of cyberspace defense operators is an urgent national need. CAP cadets are rising to the challenge through self-study, classroom lessons and activities, competitions, and week-long career exploration academies.
Cyber Badge Program
To encourage cadet participation in CAP’s cyber education programs, cadets may earn the Cadet Cyber Badge which recognizes a cadet's dedication to cyber education. To learn more, download the pamphlet (PDF) and use the tracking log (XLSX) to keep track of the cadet's progress in the program.
CAP National Cyber Academy
The CAP National Cyber Academy (CNCA), the summer cyber NCSA, integrates cyber security certification standards into career exploration courses and dovetails with the Cadet Program Cyber Module which is in production. The CNCA hosts two courses, Cyber Ops Fundamentals and Cyberspace Networking. 
The Summer 2020 campus schedule is:
- CNCA - Virginia has been cancelled for 2020.
- CNCA - Texas has been cancelled for 2020.
Great Lakes Region Cybersecurity Academy
The CAP Great Lakes Region Cybersecurity Camp provides a place for cadets to grow their knowledge of Windows and Linux operating systems, networking, cybersecurity careers, cybersecurity defense techniques, and leadership—while having some fun in the process! Cadets will become stronger CyberPatriot competitors, with sharper leadership and teamwork skills, and will learn about future education and career options.
CyberStart Game Opportunity
CAP has a great -- but short deadline -- no-cost opportunity for interested cadets to participate in a virtual Cyber summer challenge. Units (or Groups or Wings) must request a site license no later than Tue, 23 Jun.
This game (valued at $150) gives CAP cadets an opportunity to learn more about computing and cybersecurity. Cadets who perform well can win prizes for their participation. Offered jointly by CS for ALL and CyberStart, this educational game is geared for cadets with no skills, as well as those with advanced skills. This brochure provides further details on the program. This flyer provides additional information (though drafted for JROTC). A benefit of this program is students can play this at their own pace. There is no schedule, so students control their own level of involvement.
Any CAP unit at any level may apply for a site license. The company has requested that all license holders have at least five cadets who will participate. This is open to all cadets, regardless of age (e.g. middle school versus high school), and they do not need to be CyberPatriot competitors to participate. For units with small density, we suggest a license at the Group level, or that one squadron hosts cadets from other squadrons. The registration form for a license is located at: https://www.cyberstartus.org/jrotc/. Just follow the link titled, "Request a license for your school." For those interested, you may watch the briefing provided by clicking on the link, "Watch the recording of the June 18 Launch Briefing." Put Your Squadron Name where "School Name" is required and Civil Air Patrol where "School District" is required. Select "Air Force" for associated service branch.
From the briefing it appears that the following deadlines will apply:
23 Jun - Deadline to request cadet licenses
30 Jun - Individual cadets must register by this date
After you request cadet licenses, CS for ALL will send the tokens for individual cadets to register.
If any units have questions, or experience any problems with obtaining a site license, please contact Lt Col George Ishikata, CAPNHQ Cadet Programs Staff Coordinator.
Air Force Association CyberCamps
The Air Force Association has CyberCamps through the summer for groups to introduce students to cyber security concepts and prepare them for their first CyberPatriot competition. They have a standard camp as well as an advanced camp. The standard camp is for students and cadets who have no previous cyber security or CyberPatriot experience while the advanced camp is for students who have some experience and want to learn additional concepts.
The camp is designed around a four hour day with lecture material and hands on lab learning Monday through Thursday. Friday is a mini CyberPatriot competition designed to reinforce the material that was learned during the week.
For 2020, NHQ will be sponsoring three weeks of camps:
- Standard Camp: 15-19 June 2020
- Standard Camp: 20-24 July 2020
- Advanced Camp: 20-24 July 2020
2020 Camp Statistics:
- June Standard Camps: 20
- July Standard Camps: 12
- Advanced Camps: 24
- Estimated total enrollments: 922 cadets
The AFA CyberCamp fee for these three weeks is paid by NHQ directly. Host units will be responsible for obtaining computers and Internet connections to run the camp. In addition, the host unit will need to provide instructors to facilitate the training sessions contained in the material. Host units will be provided with electronic versions of the material and must print the workbooks for the cadets in attendance. Printing of the instructor's material is optional. The time of day when the host unit hosts the camp is up to them. It must be held Monday through Friday, however, on the days identified. Individual cadet registration is also the responsibility of the host unit.
Due to the COVID-19 situation, virtual delivery of the CyberCamps is also being planned as noted on https://www.uscyberpatriot.org/Pages/Announcements/COVID-19-Update-2020-AFA-CyberCamps.aspx.
If the hosting unit has any technical issues or questions, they MUST NOT contact the AFA. All questions relating to these CyberCamps must be routed through the CAP Cyber Programs Team via cybercamps@cap.gov.
More information on the AFA CyberCamp program can be found at: https://www.uscyberpatriot.org/afa-cybercamps/getting-started/afa-cybercamp-overview.
CyberPatriot
CyberPatriot puts teams of high school and middle school students in the position of newly hired IT professionals tasked with managing the network of a small company. In the rounds of competition, teams are given a set of virtual images that represent operating systems and are tasked with finding cybersecurity vulnerabilities within the images and hardening the system while maintaining critical services in a six hour period. The top teams in the nation earn all-expenses paid trips to Baltimore, MD for the National Finals Competition where they can earn national recognition and scholarship money.
- Audience: Cadets, working in teams of 6
- Resources:
- CyberPatriot Playbook: An introduction into CyberPatriot operations from the perspective of Civil Air Patrol Cyber Programs.
- CyberPatriot Coaches Meetings: Recorded CyberPatriot Coaches Meetings led by Maj Bill Blatchley; contact wblatchley@cap.gov for more information.
Introduction to Cyber Security - Activity Guide
The Introduction to Cyber Security activity guide introduces cadets to the cyber domain. Topics include codes, ciphers, and encryption; basic defense skills; basic probing skills; cyber organization profiles; cyber domain history; and more. The activity guide may be implemented as a squadron activity or a self-study activity for individual cadets.
- Audience: Cadet class or individual cadets of any grade
- Format: Classroom lectures, activities, readings, and quizzes
- Resource: PDF activity guide
Encampment Module: Introduction to the Cyber Domain
The encampment program's aerospace education block has five main components which includes the Introduction to Cyber Domain (PDF) 60-minute instructional block.
Aerospace Dimensions Cyber Lesson
In development currently, the new Aerospace Dimensions cyber module will be added the requirements for all cadet airmen and cadet non-commissioned officers to complete before they may earn the Billy Mitchell Award. The Cyber Lesson (a.k.a Module 7) will be added to the existing Aerospace Dimension modules, thus removing the "no requirement" for Aerospace as noted currently for Achievement 8.
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Cyber Programs Staff
Contact specific Cyber Programs staff via their email addresses below or reach out to cyber-programs@cap.gov.
| Name | Volunteer Position | Supervisor |
|---|---|---|
| Lt Col William Sydow wsydow@cap.gov |
Coordinator, CAP Cyber Programs | Mr. Curt Lafond |
| Lt Col Paul Creed III pcreed@cap.gov |
Deputy Coordinator for Operations | Lt Col William Sydow |
| Lt Col Bryan Pettigrew bpettigrew@cap.gov |
Deputy Coordinator for Mission Support | Lt Col William Sydow |
| Maj William Blatchley wblatchley@cap.gov |
Deputy Coordinator for Training | Lt Col William Sydow |
| Maj Michael Dunn mdunn@cap.gov |
Cyber Curriculum Specialist | Maj Bill Blatchley |
| Maj George Davis george.davis@scwgcap.org |
Cadet Cyber Events Coordinator | Lt Col Paul Creed III |
| Lt Col Joseph Zachariah jzachariah@cap.gov |
Special Projects/Liaison with 33rd NWS | Lt Col William Sydow |
| Lt Col CJ Muncy cj.muncy@vawg.cap.gov |
Special Projects | Lt Col Bryan Pettigrew |
| Maj Jacob Bixler jacob.bixler@vawg.cap.gov |
PA Liaison | Lt Col Bryan Pettigrew |
| Lt Col Jeff Morris jmorris@ncr.cap.gov |
NCR Cyber Officer | Lt Col William Sydow |
| Maj Derek Rustvold drustvold@cap.gov |
MAR Cyber Officer | Lt Col William Sydow |
| Maj Shannon Brumfield shannon.brumfield@gawg.cap.gov |
SER Cyber Officer | Lt Col William Sydow |
| Vacant | NER Cyber Officer | Lt Col William Sydow |
| Vacant | SWR Cyber Officer | Lt Col William Sydow |
| Vacant | PCR Cyber Officer | Lt Col William Sydow |
| Col Robert Dempsey rdempsey@ilwg.cap.gov |
Illinois Wing Cyber Officer (de facto) | Lt Col Paul Creed III |
| Col Philip Argenti pargenti@cap.gov |
Indiana Wing Cyber Officer (de facto) | Lt Col Paul Creed III |
| Capt Sharon Howarth showarth@kywg.cap.gov |
Kentucky Wing Cyber Officer | Lt Col Paul Creed III |
| Capt Stan Kowalski skowalski@miwg.cap.gov |
Michigan Wing Cyber Officer / GLR Cyber Academy Director | Lt Col Paul Creed III |
| Lt Col Michael Sidman michael.sidman@ohwg.cap.gov |
Ohio Wing Cyber Officer / Cyber Instructor | Lt Col Paul Creed III |
| Lt Col Jeff Thomas jeffrey.thomas@wiwg.cap.gov |
Wisconsin Wing Cyber Officer | Lt Col Paul Creed III |
| Maj Paul Ault pault@kywg.cap.gov |
Kentucky Wing Aerospace Officer | Lt Col Paul Creed III |
| Capt Chuck Milam cmilam@cap.gov |
Cyber Instructor | Lt Col Paul Creed III |
| Maj Charlene Garcia cgarcia@flwg.gov |
Florida Wing Cyber Officer (de facto) | Maj Shannon Brumfield |
| 1st Lt Heath Barker 606864@tncap.us |
Tennessee Wing Cyber Officer (de facto) | Maj Shannon Brumfield |
| Capt Roy Vestal rvestal@cap.gov |
MAR Assistant Cyber Officer | Maj Derek Rustvold |
|
Capt Jared Mast jared.mast@vawg.cap.gov |
Virginia Cyber Officer / Cyber NCSA AD | Maj Derek Rustvold |
|
Lt Col Paul Selig pselig@cap.gov |
South Carolina Cyber Officer | Maj Derek Rustvold |
|
1st Lt Omar Khouri omar.khouri@ncwgcap.org |
North Carolina Cyber Officer | Maj Derek Rustvold |
|
1st Lt Joshua Klosterman jklosterman@ncr.cap.gov |
Special Projects | Maj Derek Rustvold |
|
Lt Col Don Ells dells@cap.gov |
Maryland Cyber Officer | Maj Derek Rustvold |
|
Lt Col Sean McClanahan mcclanahan.sean@dewg.cap.gov |
Delaware Cyber Officer | Maj Derek Rustvold |
|
2nd Lt Anthony Hanners Anthony.hanners@wvwg.cap.gov |
West Virginia Cyber Officer | Maj Derek Rustvold |
|
Capt Roland Wright wright.r@natcapwg.cap.gov |
National Capital Cyber Officer | Maj Derek Rustvold |
| Capt Anthony Plattsmier plattsmier@sbcglobal.net |
Texas Wing Cyber Officer (de facto) Cyber NCSA Activity Director | Maj George Davis |
