[ISN] 24th members guide JROTC team in AFA CyberPatriot competition

http://www.afspc.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123233892

By Tech. Sgt. Scott McNabb
24th Air Force Public Affairs
12/9/2010 

LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Just walking into the Junior Reserve 
Officer Training Corps building at John Jay High School, a stone's throw 
from Lackland, is a testament to the unit's dedication to being the 
best.

The hall of trophies more closely resembles a sheer wall of trophies of 
all sizes and shapes and reasons for being and on a Saturday, when so 
many other kids are hanging out, the dedicated cadets are at school, 
working diligently.

While drill team members and instructors filter in and out of the 
activity room, in search of snacks and a much needed break from drill 
practice, a select few cadets sit, mostly quietly, clicking away at 
their computers. The cadets on laptops aren't inside to avoid the 
intensity of drill, they too, are competing.

This teenage posse of network security troubleshooters are duking it out 
with hackers on Windows, Mac and Linux platforms. They're running 
antivirus software, making friends and learning how to operate in 
cyberspace during the third round of the Air Force Association (AFA)'s 
high school cyber defense competition - CyberPatriot.

"It's like solving a Rubix Cube," said David Peterson, a 10th grader 
looking up from the Linux system in front of him for the first time all 
day. "First you have to figure out what you're looking at, and then you 
have to solve it."

The AFA decided in 2007 to do what they could to help JROTC and Civil 
Air Patrol cadets and other children get back into science, technology, 
engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects and CyberPatriot, the 
world's largest high school-level cyber competition, was the way they 
chose to challenge the high schoolers, said Col. Craig Berg, 24th Air 
Force standardization and evaluation director, who volunteers as a coach 
and mentor along with Tech. Sgt. Sung Kim, 624th Operations Center 
offensive operations controller, and Senior Airman Patrick Stevens, a 
network defense tactics development technician with the 23rd Information 
Operations Squadron, both stationed on Lackland.

Dr. Gregory White, Director for the Center for Infrastructure Assurance 
and Security at University of Texas-San Antonio explained that while AFA 
serves as the lead for CyberPatriot, UTSA and SAIC, Inc., a scientific, 
engineering, and technology applications company, provide the 
educational tools for the program. While UTSA provides schools with most 
of the academic information and solely runs the collegiate competition, 
SAIC provides the hardware and software to make the competition 
possible. The Air Force is the fourth contributor to CyberPatriot with 
manpower through volunteers like the ones from 24th Air Force.

Colonel Berg said the mentors are not allowed to help the cadets find 
the answer, but oversee the competition and keep them focused.

"We're walking a fine line as mentors, advising them, but not pointing 
things out to them," he said. "We observe and remind them to remember 
their checklists. That keeps it fair."

This year, approximately 500 teams competed in CyberPatriot and the John 
Jay team is experiencing what it's like to go up against the lot in 
hopes for a trophy of their own. With that said, the cyber teens are 
grounded in the true benefits of a competition this big.

"I don't even think winning is the most important thing for me. Getting 
experience in it is most important - winning comes second," said team 
leader Wesley Eaton. "Getting a chance to use this platform is important 
because it's something I want to do for my job - although I do want to 
go to Orlando."

The junior said he's learned that it takes a team to succeed and have a 
chance at the finals in Orlando, Fla.

"Successfully competing isn't just knowledge," said Cadet Eaton. "You 
have to work together to use your resources and accomplish what you're 
trying to do."

Sergeant Kim said he was impressed with how much the students already 
knew going into their mentoring sessions.

"Working with the students has taught me that students today are very 
much connected and in-tune with computers and the Internet," he said. 
"It was great to see just how much they already understand about 
computers and the need for computer defense."

Colonel Berg, who lives separately from his family due to his military 
requirements, said working with the students has been a way for him to 
give back to children around his son's age.

Approximately 15 local JROTC units in the San Antonio area are vying for 
the Mayor's Cup. The team who scored the highest in the first two rounds 
will be awarded the cup during a banquet Dec. 11. The numbers are in and 
the waiting game has begun. Until then, these cyber warriors stand 
against all the other teams with tools of the trade - like locking their 
parents out of their computers just for fun.

"I've actually learned more about network security than I thought I 
could," said Cadet Peterson. "I've actually been able to lock down my 
computer at home. It was a bad thing. I locked my mom out."

He unlocked it as soon as she asked him to. He's part of a team that 
shoots to be the best.

"I like feeling that we're unique," said Cadet Eaton. "We're the only 
group in our school that's doing this. We're the pioneering group who 
will decide where this thing goes for its life. "

With the solid foundation being built, it's only a matter of time until 
it goes right out in the JROTC unit's hall - next to all the other 
trophies.


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