EP59 The Changing Nature of Warfare with MG Paul Stanton, Commanding General of the United States Army Cyber Center of Excellence and Fort Gordon

WPAOG Podcast

This episode features an interview with MG Paul Stanton ‘95, Commanding General of the United States Army Cyber Center of Excellence and Fort Gordon.

Prior to his promotion in June 2021, MG Stanton was Deputy Commanding General (Operations) of U.S. Army Cyber Command. He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1995 and commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Infantry. He transitioned from Infantry to the Cyber branch in 2015. MG Stanton has earned three degrees in Computer Science: a bachelor's degree from the U.S. Military Academy; a master's degree from the University of Illinois; and a doctorate from Johns Hopkins University.

In this episode, MG Stanton talks about the different pathways into a career in Army Cyber, the ever changing nature of modern warfare, and why he believes cyberspace operations is the ultimate team sport.

-----------

Key Quotes

“The nature of warfare is changing from strictly voice communications to becoming data centric, and our dependency on data that we convert into information and ultimately support making decisions is a critical change to our current and future operating environment. So, increasingly our formations, not just cyber operators, not just signaleers, but all of our formations, our infantrymen, our aviators, our field artillerymen, engineers have to understand the role of data on the battlefield and where their dependencies on data reside such that they can put the right data together, run the right analysis, develop the right visualization to enable their decision making. That's warfare from the beginning. That's what we did in 1923. The difference is that the proliferation of data has increased the dependency on moving ones and zeros. And because we have that dependency, that gives us, in 2023, the opportunity to achieve effects against our adversary in the ones and zeros space, recognizing that they'll try to do the same to us and so we must defend against it accordingly.” - MG Paul Stanton

-----------

Episode Timestamps

(01:23) Attending West Point, walking hours, and playing sports

(02:02) The different pathways into Army Cyber

(19:20) Exploring the roles of Cyber Branch

(26:09) Community involvement at the Cyber Center of Excellence

(28:31) The Army Cyber Institute

(31:57) Building the Cyber and Engineering Academy Center

(35:41) Exploring old habits from West Point

(37:56) Advice for young cadets looking to join Cyber Branch

-----------

Links

MG Paul Stanton’s LinkedIn

Army Cyber Center of Excellence

West Point Association of Graduates