An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : News : Article View
NEWS | June 20, 2017

Pennsylvania Guard members participating in advance cyber challenge

By Sgt. Erick Yates Army Reserve Cyber Operations Group

PITTSBURGH – Nearly 50 U.S. military personnel working in cyber defense representing units from the Pennsylvania National Guard, 335th Signal Command (Theater), the Defense Information Systems Agency, Surface Deployment and Distribution Command and Pennsylvania Air National Guard began this year's advanced challenge for the Cyber X-Games, June 15 at Carnegie Mellon University.

The Cyber X-Games, hosted by the Army Reserve Cyber Operations Group (ARCOG), 335th SC (T), is a five-day exercise focusing on advanced areas of cyber security training. Cyber X-Games leads into the Cyber Endeavour conference taking place at CMU, June 20-22. Cyber Endeavor is the Department of Defense-sponsored conference for military and civilian practitioners from across government, industry and academia to address the nexus of cyberspace and national security, as described on the conference web site.

Attendees at Cyber X-Games 2017 will be challenged in areas of cyber detection, response and recovery. A competitive environment will be created with live red/blue teaming, evaluation by facilitators during strategy briefings and cyber mission exercise scenarios. Quizzes and status updates for each team are also part of the five-day challenge, according to coordinators of the event.

U.S. Army ROTC Cadet Brendan Michel, assigned to the 1182nd Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, is taking the Cyber X-Game challenge with his father, Capt. John Michel, assigned to the National Capital Region Cyber Protection Center (NCRCPC), a unit under the ARCOG command.

The exercise is conducted at an advanced level, said Michel, who is also a student in the computer science program at The Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina.

"Coming to the Cyber X-games has allowed me to collaborate with people both military and civilian, experienced in different backgrounds of cyber security," said Michel.

Sgt. Nicholas Malone, assigned to the North Central Cyber Protection Center, also under command of the ARCOG, and a cyber defensive team leader for the X-Games, explained there are more varied aspects at this event compared to last year.

"Last year's event was a response to preset items, and with this year, attendees are challenged with a full spectrum of items," said Malone.

He also shared how challengers on the team are given a choice on spending time for offensive versus defensive cyber operations.

Working on the scenarios this time around afforded the opportunity to change the mission planning to focus more on managing team assets and strengths in response to the game challenges, said Malone.

Austin Whisnant, a cyber exercise developer for the Cyber Workforce Development Team at CMU, worked with Lt. Col. Michael Lewis, the ARCOG's operations officer, and Chief Warrant Officer 4 Christopher Manuel, The ARCOG's special projects officer, to coordinate the event. 

Working with the Department of Defense network to make the games possible is an enjoyable experience, said Whisnant.

"Interacting with the DoD in developing the Cyber X-Games allows me to help in a practical way rather than providing academic research for guidance material," she said.

Creating the Cyber X-Games for military personnel allows them to apply what they know, but learn in a safe environment about the areas that are most challenging to them in cyber security, she said.

The ARCOG, a newly reflagged brigade-sized cyber unit, was created from the Army Reserve Information Operations Command in October 2016. The ARCOG is in the process of building its force through readiness and advanced cyber security training to perform cyber missions in support of the 335th SC (T) and U.S. Army Cyber Command.

 

 

Related Articles
U.S. Air Force leaders from the 154th Air Expeditionary Wing pose for a photo during Talisman Sabre 25 in Northern Territory, Australia, July 24, 2025. Talisman Sabre is the largest bilateral military exercise between Australia and the United States, which advances a safe and secure Indo-Pacific by strengthening relationships and interoperability among key allies and partners, while enhancing our collective capabilities to respond to a wide array of potential security concerns.
Air Guard Demonstrates Critical Indo-Pacific Capabilities During Talisman Sabre 25
By Maj. Eve Derfelt, | July 31, 2025
BRISBANE, Queensland – Airmen from Hawaii, California, Guam, Idaho and Wisconsin Air National Guard units participated in Talisman Sabre 25, Australia’s premier military exercise that underscored the U.S. Air National Guard's...

South Dakota National Guard Soldiers with members of the Surinamese Armed Forces during a first-of-its-kind jungle warfare exchange that concluded July 18, 2025. Service members from the SAF and the SDNG spent ten days sharing critical skills in survival, navigation, and patrolling. This successful collaboration is a part of the National Guard State Partnership Program (SPP).
South Dakota Guard, Suriname Armed Forces Strengthen Partnership
By Staff Sgt. Breanne Donnell, | July 31, 2025
PARAMARIBO, Suriname – The South Dakota National Guard and Suriname Armed Forces, or SAF, strengthened their partnership during a first-of-its-kind jungle warfare exchange that concluded July 18.Service members from the SAF...

Soldiers from the D.C. National Guard hone marksmanship skills at Twickenham Park Range in St. Catherine, Jamaica, on July 17, 2025. As part of the Caribbean Regional Training Camp, activities included zeroing, firing from different positions, march-and-shoot practice, and a march-and-shoot competition. The District of Columbia National Guard's (DCNG) partnership with Jamaica, facilitated by the U.S. National Guard Bureau's State Partnership Program (SPP), promotes security cooperation through military engagements and interagency collaboration.
D.C. Guard Tests Skills With Jamaican, Barbadian Forces
By Senior Master Sgt. Jason Melton, | July 31, 2025
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Soldiers from the District of Columbia National Guard; Jamaica Defence Force, or JDF; Jamaica National Reserve; and Barbados Defence Force Reserves recently participated in the Caribbean Regional Training...