BOSSIER CITY – Today, Governor Bobby Jindal announced that he will commit the first $50 million of Louisiana’s state budget surplus to the infrastructure and transportation improvements needed to support the Cyber Command Center at Barksdale Air Force Base. Jindal made the announcement during the groundbreaking of the Cyber Innovation Center in Bossier City earlier this morning.

Jindal said, “I will ask the Legislature to make this the first item funded in our special session to be held in March, which will deal with tax reform and state surplus dollars. We will not let legal language about the status of this project or artificial deadlines stand in the way of our state’s commitment.

Bayou Buzz Jan 2008

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I can’t find where this was ever passed.  What does that mean anyway, about “legal language” and “artificial deadlines”??  And what would need $50 million worth of improving to support the Air Force?  Don’t they have their own budget?

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Now, this:

“The Air Force on Monday suspended all efforts related to development of a program to become the dominant service in cyberspace, according to knowledgeable sources. Top Air Force officials put a halt to all activities related to the establishment of the Cyber Command, a provisional unit that is currently part of the 8th Air Force at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana, sources told Nextgov. An internal Air Force e-mail obtained by Nextgov said, ‘Transfers of manpower and resources, including activation and re-assignment of units, shall be halted.’ Establishment of the Cyber Command will be delayed until new senior Air Force leaders, including Chief of Staff Norton Schwartz, sworn in today, have time to make a final decision on the scope and mission of the command.”

http://tech.slashdot.org/article.pl?no_d2=1&sid;=08/08/13/1436224

About two hours after us, the Shreveport Times has the Cyber Command story:

WASHINGTON - The Pentagon this week delayed and may kill the Air Force’s nascent Cyberspace Command, provisionally based at Barksdale Air Force Base, according to a memo obtained by The Associated Press. This comes as Russia used a major computer network attack to begin its assault on Georgia.
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The service’s Cyberspace Command is meant to coordinate computer network defense and, more controversially, offensive attacks on enemy networks. The goal, according to senior officials, is to be able to take control of adversary computer networks to thwart attacks or otherwise influence their behavior— either with or without that adversary realizing it.

In a memo distributed throughout the Air Force this week, service officials announced that manning and budget transfers for Air Force Cyberspace Command have been suspended, delaying the command’s official Oct. 1 start. The Pentagon and the Air Force are expected to make a decision as to the command’s fate later this month. The command will eventually have a headquarters staff of about 500 people, and 8,000 personnel total.

At 3 p.m. today a news conference will be in Bossier City by Mayor Lo Walker, Bossier Parish Administrator Bill Altimus and Cyber Innovation Center Director Craig Spohn to respond to reports of the delay. Cyber Innovation Center is a civilian component of the cyber effort and is to be built in Bossier City.

http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080813/NEWS/80813017

Bobby Jindal - 13 August 2008 03:22 PM

About two hours after us, the Shreveport Times has the Cyber Command story:

WASHINGTON - The Pentagon this week delayed and may kill the Air Force’s nascent Cyberspace Command, provisionally based at Barksdale Air Force Base, according to a memo obtained by The Associated Press. This comes as Russia used a major computer network attack to begin its assault on Georgia.
Advertisement

The service’s Cyberspace Command is meant to coordinate computer network defense and, more controversially, offensive attacks on enemy networks. The goal, according to senior officials, is to be able to take control of adversary computer networks to thwart attacks or otherwise influence their behavior— either with or without that adversary realizing it.

In a memo distributed throughout the Air Force this week, service officials announced that manning and budget transfers for Air Force Cyberspace Command have been suspended, delaying the command’s official Oct. 1 start. The Pentagon and the Air Force are expected to make a decision as to the command’s fate later this month. The command will eventually have a headquarters staff of about 500 people, and 8,000 personnel total.

At 3 p.m. today a news conference will be in Bossier City by Mayor Lo Walker, Bossier Parish Administrator Bill Altimus and Cyber Innovation Center Director Craig Spohn to respond to reports of the delay. Cyber Innovation Center is a civilian component of the cyber effort and is to be built in Bossier City.

http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080813/NEWS/80813017

The state should get its money back.  For at least the last year, the Air Force has said that whichever base was HQ would have few personnel because the related positions would be spread over many bases.

Less than 50 days before its expected “stand up” opening, the Air Force Cyber Command (AFCC)—a program expected to help lead the U.S. military’s counterattacks against cyberwarfare—has been suspended amidst reorganization at the Pentagon.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/blogs/technology_news/4277752.html