The United States faces a structural cyber manpower challenge that cannot be solved through traditional military or Department of War (DoW) force-generation models alone. Drawing on his experience as the Department of the Navy’s Principal Cyber Advisor (PCA), CDR (Retired) Christopher Cleary contends that while the nation trains exceptional military cyber operators, it employs only a fraction of its available cyber talent. The article proposes a Cyber Mission Support Framework (CMSF) to reconnect uniformed forces with trusted, highly skilled cyber professionals in the private sector. CMSF enables scalable mission augmentation and, potentially, regulated cyber proxy operations under clear legal and operational oversight. The essay examines why cyber operators leave uniformed service despite continued commitment to national defense, how industry has become a latent reserve of operational expertise, and why existing models are insufficient for future conflict—particularly in high-demand theaters. Ultimately, it argues that reconnecting national government and industry cyber talent is essential to sustaining U.S. cyber readiness and strategic advantage.
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