FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, Md. -- Gen. David H. Berger, the 38th Commandant of the Marine Corps, visited Lasswell Hall Thursday. The visit was his first introduction to the people behind Marine Corps cyberspace operations, helping him develop a deeper understanding of what they do.
Lasswell Hall, a modern four-story building, located within the National Security Agency’s campus in Fort Meade, Maryland, is home to Marine Corps Forces Cyberspace Command headquarters.
The visit started with a brief from Maj. Gen. Matthew G. Glavy, commander of MARFORCYBER and Joint Task Force Ares. Glavy explained the key infrastructure and cyberspace capabilities based out of Lasswell Hall as they toured the building. A brief on the tools and defensive and offensive cyberspace operations followed the building tour.
When Berger addressed the Marines, he expressed the importance of MARFORCYBER’s mission. He reminded the Marines that their enabling actions inform national security decision-makers at the strategic level.
Glavy’s leadership philosophy can be summarized as “People, ideas, things … in that order.” It’s on the wall as you walk into Lasswell Hall and it is a mantra repeated every day within the command. MARFORCYBER’s commander prioritizes people because he believes without the right motivated, trained and empowered people, the mission would not be accomplished.
During the briefings, Glavy expressed the importance of the Marines and their ideas. Marines in charge of Marine Corps Enterprise Network modernization initiatives briefed the commandant on the many milestones and dependencies and their value proposition to Marine Corps warfighters.
One of the projects is the Big Data Platform Cyber Hunt & Analytics Operation System briefed by Maj. Richard Vaccariello, a special projects officer with MARFORCYBER. The cloud-based platform will be the Marine Corps Enterprise Network’s data collection site. It will facilitate situational awareness and a common operational picture for increased security. This system will allow for the sharing of data and increased security throughout the Department of Defense and mission partners.
“We need to have commonalities and integration with the Navy, but the systems need to be able to stand alone when they aren’t there,” Berger said. He added that when the Navy and Marine Corps are working together, they are five times stronger than when each service operates alone.
The people of MARFORCYBER are working around the clock and constantly coordinating with their Navy counterparts to bring the commandant's guidance to fruition. Big Data Platform CHAOS is one of several projects meeting his intent in cyberspace.
MARFORCYBER conducts full-spectrum cyberspace operations, to include operating and defending the Marine Corps Enterprise Network, conducting defensive cyberspace operations within the MCEN and joint force networks, and when directed, conducting offensive cyberspace operations in support of joint and coalition forces.
For more news and information about MARFORCYBER, visit www.marforcyber.marines.mil/ or follow us on twitter @MARFORCYBER.