91st Cyber Brigade leads Cyber Shield 2023

More than 800 National Guard Airmen, Soldiers and international partners participated in the 2023 Cyber Shield cybersecurity exercise June 2-17, 2023, in Little Rock, Arkansas. During the exercise, subordinate units of the Virginia National Guard’s Fort Belvoir-based 91st Cyber Brigade conducted required validation and recertifications.

The 91st Cyber Brigade is the first and only Army National Guard Cyber Brigade in the country. The brigade’s five Cyber Protection Battalions each employ two Cyber Protection Teams whose primary mission is Defensive Cyberspace Operations. All CPTs within the brigade have been validated against U.S. Cyber Command standards and perform annual recertifications conducted by the 169th CPT, an all-Active Guard and Reserve CPT which falls directly under the 91st Cyber Brigade.

“We hope Cyber Shield not only helps us evaluate our different battalions,” said U.S. Army Col. Russell McGuire, 91st Cyber Brigade commander. “We hope that [Cyber Shield] better prepares us for the mission to support the defense of cyberspace operations.”

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Leaders of the 91st Cyber Brigade discuss cyber operations during a staff huddle at Cyber Shield 2023 June 14, 2023, in Little Rock, Arkansas.  National Guard members from 36 states, 15 international state partners from five nations and civilian agencies came together for the exercise.