The Department of Defense admits it has challenges in retaining its cyber workforce. Part of the problem, according to MGySgt Scott Stalker, command senior enlisted leader of U.S. Cyber Command and the National Security Agency, is that the military “outcompetes” itself.
Stalker estimates that when an individual leaves, it takes 18 months to identify, clear, and fully train a replacement. He describes a process in which the military invests hundreds of thousands of dollars in training a person, who then leaves and goes to work for a company that the military then contracts with.
The Army and Marines have each responded to this by creating new cyber-specific career opportunities which they hope will not only attract qualified personnel but also retain them.