CHARLESTON, W. Va. - The West Virginia National Guard Cyber Protection Team - Mission Element joined over 30 cyber operators from six nations in the multinational exercise Eagle Resolve 2025 in Doha, Qatar.
For two weeks, Jan. 9-23, cyber defenders from the United States, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman worked together to sharpen their ability to detect and neutralize digital threats that could cripple infrastructure, disrupt military operations and compromise national security.
Unlike traditional combat, the enemy in cyber warfare doesn’t march across borders or fly overhead. Instead, they lurk in the digital shadows, exploiting network weaknesses to steal sensitive data or shut down critical systems.
ER25 focused on Cyber Threat Hunting, a specialized operation that proactively searched for hidden cyber threats before they could strike. Using real-world attack simulations, service members and their international counterparts tracked, analyzed and defended against cyber intrusions, learning how adversaries try to infiltrate and disrupt networks.
Participants engaged in hands-on cyber war games, testing their ability to recognize malicious activity, trace attack paths and deploy countermeasures in an era of constantly evolving cyber threats.
“Cybersecurity is a team effort, and the experience gained during ER25 will directly impact how we defend against cyber threats in the future,” said U.S. Army Capt. William Pauley, the Army Interagency Training and Education Center Brigade’s information systems officer leading the WVNG effort. “This is just the beginning of stronger partnerships and even more advanced cyber training in the years to come.”
For West Virginia’s CPT-ME, the opportunity to take part in ER25 was more than just another training exercise.
The CPT-ME is a newly formed unit in the WVNG, and ER25 marked its first involvement in an international cyber warfare exercise of this scale. The WVNG played a key leadership role, working alongside U.S. Central Command, the Army Reserve Cyber Protection Brigade and WVNG’s Defensive Cyber Operations Element to provide cyber range participants and expert instructors.
The collaboration built stronger defenses and relationships between U.S. forces and their allies.
“After nine months of careful planning and coordination, it was inspiring to see Eagle Resolve 2025 go as smoothly and successfully as it did,” Pauley said. “The mutual understanding and team-wide cohesion we built not only with our sister service components, but also with international members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, is invaluable. The partnerships we’ve forged here will pay dividends in the future as we navigate an increasingly complex cyber terrain.”
Eagle Resolve, established in 1999, occurs every two years. The exercise has been a cornerstone of the U.S. commitment to build trust and cooperation with allied forces in the region.
While the battlefield may be digital, the mission is very real. The WVNG, alongside its U.S. and international partners, is ensuring that no matter where cyber threats arise, there will be a trained force ready to counter them.