Cyberspace is a domain of warfare—just like land, sea, air, and space. After World War II, the rise of air power led to the creation of the U.S. Air Force, and in 2019, growing reliance on space brought the U.S. Space Force into being.
Today, America faces relentless cyber threats that endanger our national security and way of life. These threats grow more complex and sophisticated every day. Only a dedicated Cyber Force can marshal the focus and resources needed to defend the nation and outpace our adversaries. The Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Space Force have vital core missions, but none can give cyberspace the singular attention it demands.
Veterans in Congress understand this reality. They know from experience how cyber attacks can put lives at risk. That’s why they’re leading bipartisan calls for bold reform: establishing a U.S. Cyber Force—an independent branch to train cyber warfighters and protect America’s digital frontlines.
The Problem: A Patchwork Defense in an Age of Constant Attack
Cyber units span the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Space Force, while U.S. Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM) centralizes training and operations. Despite fielding skilled teams, this fragmented structure duplicates effort, fuels talent competition, and creates readiness gaps.
The threat is real—and the stakes couldn’t be higher. While many of our nation’s cyber operations remain classified, recent public incidents make clear the urgent need for a dedicated Cyber Force:
- In 2021, the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack disrupted fuel supplies across the East Coast, proving that a single cyber breach can paralyze critical infrastructure.
Read ➡️ The U.S. Department of Energy’s response to the attack.
- The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received over 850,000 cybercrime complaints in 2024, with estimated losses of $16.6 billion, a 33% increase from 2023.
Read ➡️ The FBI’s IC3 2024 Report
- The CCP has made cyberspace a central pillar of its military doctrine, investing heavily in offensive cyber capabilities to target U.S. defense, infrastructure, and private industry.
Read ➡️ The DoD’s 2023 China Military Power Report
- In April 2025, U.S. officials confirmed that the CCP had admitted to carrying out Volt Typhoon in 2023, an advanced persistent threat (APT) carried out by China’s Cyberspace Force to pre-position themselves within our critical infrastructure to disrupt or destroy critical infrastructure during a time of conflict with the U.S. The attacks focused on espionage and long-term access, exploiting zero-day vulnerabilities and “dwelling” in U.S. systems for up to 300 days in 2023.
Read ➡️ China Admitted to Volt Typhoon Cyberattacks on US Critical Infrastructure: Report
- In August 2025, the FBI announced that Salt Typhoon, a classic espionage operation carried out by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), had infiltrated at least 200 companies in over 80 countries. Among the affected companies were America’s largest telecommunications companies, including Verizon and AT&T, where infiltrators collected massive amounts of user data, including texts, voice calls, and other metadata.
Read ➡️ Unrestrained’ Chinese Cyberattackers May Have Stolen Data From Almost Every American
Cyber threats don’t respect borders. They target military networks, city governments, small businesses, and families, and America’s cyberdefense structure remains fragmented and under-resourced.
The Solution: A Dedicated U.S. Cyber Force
Military veterans in Congress and national security experts are calling for a U.S. Cyber Force—a unified branch with a singular mission: to defend America in cyberspace.
Such a force would:
- Streamline operations. No more duplication or conflicting missions between military branches.
- Attract and retain talent. Cyber operators need clear career paths, competitive opportunities, and recognition equal to other warfighting domains. They also need flexibility, and a Cyber Force should include career flexibility with a robust Cyber reserve force and Cyber National Guard.
- Ensure readiness. Cyber dominates as the most dynamic domain of warfare. Around the globe, actors create new threats, tools, and defenses every day, and our operators need the best training to stay ready for the challenge.
Bipartisan Leadership in Action
Cybersecurity is not a partisan issue—it’s a national imperative. Lawmakers across the political spectrum are working together to advance bold reforms that match the scale of our threats. We applaud members of the For Country Caucus, who are leading efforts to elevate cyber operations in Congress.
Members like Representatives Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.) and Don Bacon (R-Neb.), senior members of the House Armed Services Committee and both Air Force veterans, are among the leading lawmakers working to keep the idea of creating a Cyber Force at the front of mind on Capitol Hill this year.
Rep. Houlahan has repeatedly emphasized that it is time for America to consider new approaches to cyber operations:
“We need people to be thinking about this and moving relatively with speed on this, to be able to make sure that we’re not exposed, that we’re not vulnerable, and that we have a pipeline of people who could do these jobs already being developed,” the lawmaker said. “That’s why I’m involved in this.”
As Chairman of the Cyber, Information Technologies, and Innovation Subcommittee, Rep. Bacon is clear-eyed about the cyber threats facing our nation today, stating during a hearing earlier this year that:
“We are at war in the cyber domain…It’s time to stop talking about preparing for conflict because we are already in one.”
Through an effort led by Representative Morgan Luttrell (R-Texas), a former Navy SEAL, Congress has commissioned an independent study through the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) to examine whether establishing a Cyber Force is the best path forward.
Lawmakers insist the study explicitly assess whether the nation would be better served by creating a new Cyber Force or by expanding USCYBERCOM to be more “service-like.”
They also required the study to include bi-monthly progress updates. They set a hard deadline of November 30, 2025, to ensure urgency and allow the findings to directly inform the Fiscal Year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
Veterans in Congress are at the center of these efforts, ensuring the debate remains grounded in national security, readiness, and service—not politics.
Outside Capitol Hill, momentum is also building. The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), together with CSC 2.0 (the successor to the Cyberspace Solarium Commission), has launched the Commission on Cyber Force Generation to tackle practical implementation—designing the structure, roles, and authorities for a future Cyber Force.
Rye Barcott, With Honor’s co-founder and CEO, will serve as a Commissioner.
Why This Matters to Every American
Cybersecurity isn’t abstract:
- It’s your hospital staying online during a ransomware attack.
- It’s your business surviving a cyber attack.
- It’s your bank protecting your savings.
- It’s your power grid functioning during a crisis.
- It’s our troops staying connected and secure in the field.
The battlefield has shifted. America cannot fight today’s cyber battles with yesterday’s infrastructure. Both the Air Force and Space Force were born out of necessity. In 2025, the same necessity demands a U.S. Cyber Force.
A Cyber Force ensures that the same professionalism and focus that keeps our service members safe, both at home and abroad, will now defend our cyber assets.
Bottom Line
This is not a partisan issue. Members of the bipartisan For Country Caucus are leading efforts to elevate the importance of cyber operations in Congress. They know that just as past generations rose to meet the challenge of a new domain, this generation must build a Cyber Force. Congress must act with a sense of urgency as our adversaries are not waiting to exploit our weaknesses.
What You Can Do
Action steps:
- Tell Congress: Support legislation to establish a U.S. Cyber Force.
- Share this blog: Spread awareness that cybersecurity = national security.
- Join With Honor’s network: Stay informed and amplify the call for bipartisan veteran leadership.