RICHMOND, Va. – The fifth battalion of the 91st Cyber Brigade will be stationed in Indianapolis, Indiana, according to an announcement made Oct. 22, 2019, by Lt. Gen. Daniel R. Hokanson, the director of the Army National Guard. The newly formed 127th Cyber Battalion will join the 123rd and 124th Cyber Battalions in Fairfax, Virginia, the 125th Cyber Battalion in Columbia, South Carolina, and 126th Cyber Battalion at Hanscom Air Force Base in Bedford, Massachusetts.
“We are modernizing force structure that aligns with U.S. Army Cyber Command and highlights the Army National Guard as a critical component within the Total Army,” Hokanson said in the announcement. “The Army National Guard’s role in national cybersecurity provides a larger blanket of protection against our adversaries.”
He said the decision to station the Army National Guard’s newest cyber unit as part of the Indiana Army National Guard was made after months of analysis, deliberation and planning, and they were selected based on several factors, including existing cyber capabilities, partnerships with industry and academia, and the ability to recruit and retain Soldiers.
The Army Guard considered several locations, including 19 states and territories, before deciding on Indiana.
The 127th is composed of a headquarters element and a headquarters and headquarters company, a cyber warfare company and a cybersecurity company. It is expected to reach full operational capability by 2022, said Army Guard officials.
Army National Guard cyber battalions provide training readiness oversight to conduct cyberspace operations, network vulnerability assessments, security cooperation partnerships and FEMA support along with cyberspace support of federal requirements.
The 91st Cyber Brigade was activated as the Army National Guard’s first cyber brigade Sept. 17, 2017, and it provides training and readiness oversight for cyber units across 31 states and deploys personnel to meet the demands of growing cyber mission sets throughout the U.S. Army and Department of Defense.
Additional reporting by Army Sgt. 1st Class Peter Morrison, National Guard Bureau