Seizing the Moment
By COL John Hosey
| Gray Space, Summer 2026 Edition
Read Time: < 4 mins
Cyber and EW Teammates,
The US Army Cyber branch is facing the most significant period of change since its
inception. A convergence of reformed acquisition, new force generation models, and urgent operational demands
has created unprecedented opportunity. For professionals who have long advocated for our central role in the
fight, this moment is one of validation. Senior leaders now recognize cyber and electromagnetic warfare as
essential capabilities—opening doors for resources and influence that were unimaginable just years ago. Our task
is clear: we must seize this moment with a unified and coherent effort.
This newfound urgency is already paying dividends. The rapid fielding of integrated capabilities at every
echelon proves that we can accelerate innovation when we embrace change. The Army is now building a coherent
architecture, moving beyond the ad hoc solutions of the past. This momentum comes directly from the field. When
maneuver commanders demand larger Electromagnetic Warfare platoons, it is a clear signal of operational
necessity. For the commanders we support, the message is simple: the days of treating cyberspace operations as a
separate, technical annex are over. Your Cyber and Electromagnetic Warfare professionals are not merely subject
matter experts to be consulted; they are core members of your planning staff. Pull them into the MDMP trenches
alongside your Intel and your Fires sections. Grant them a seat at the planning table from the beginning. We are
ready to integrate our capabilities directly into your scheme of maneuver, but that requires being part of the
process—not a recipient of its output.
However, this same recognition creates a significant risk. When multiple leaders see the same urgent need, the
danger is that each will chart their own course. Without deliberate, sustained coordination, these
well-intentioned efforts will shatter our capabilities, producing incompatible systems and conflicting doctrine.
The consequence is not resistance to change, but something worse: parallel efforts creating new silos that waste
resources and fail the very commanders we exist to support. Nothing erodes a commander’s trust faster than
receiving conflicting advice from multiple “experts.” Our transformation will not be defined by a lack of
vision, but by our professional discipline. We will succeed only by synchronizing our actions into coordinated
progress.
A concrete step towards this discipline is for our branch’s experts to forge and maintain a common framework of
operational requirements. Rather than a list of approved products, this would be a living document that defines
the specific capabilities commanders need, validated by our collective expertise. Such a framework creates a
doctrinal foundation for local experimentation, allowing units to test novel solutions against a common
standard. Critically, it also provides the new acquisition structure with clear, field-driven priorities to
inform and accelerate the formal acquisition process. It shifts the crucial question from a chaotic “What should
I buy?” to a disciplined “What problem are we trying to solve?” ensuring that our innovation is coherent and
cumulative.
Fortunately, the Army has provided the architecture for success. The consolidation of training requirements and
the restructuring of acquisition into Program Acquisition Executives (PAEs) are the right institutional
responses to this challenge. But structure is not a substitute for leadership. These frameworks provide the
mechanism for unity of effort, but it is up to us—the professionals in the field—to provide the discipline to
use them. The PAE model provides a synchronized acquisition process; we must provide coordinated input. A
training framework offers standardization; we must ensure those standards reflect the operational realities our
commanders face. We have the right organizational structures. The challenge now is to animate them with a shared
purpose and a commitment to professional dialogue.
The path forward demands deliberate action from every professional in our branch. We must engage in dialogue
before execution, seek coordination across echelons, and have the humility to know we do not see the whole
picture alone. This means pausing before procurement to consult our peers. It means treating professional forums
as a solemn responsibility, not a courtesy. Above all, it means asking commanders what other guidance they are
receiving, then doing the hard work of reconciling differences before they become obstacles. The investment in
coordination will always yield greater returns than individual brilliance. We stand at an inflection point. The
choice is stark: emerge as a truly integrated force multiplier, or fragment into well-resourced silos that fail
the commanders who depend on us. We are building the structures. We are fielding the capabilities. All that
remains is the professional discipline to ensure that our collective wisdom—not our individual
assumptions—guides this transformation. The time for that conversation is now.
Committed to OUR shared mission,
COL John Hosey