Developing soldiers and civilians for the IT workforce begins with training, education, experience and opportunity, said Karl Schneider, the principal deputy to the assistant secretary of the Army for manpower and reserve affairs."Everybody across the United States Army, regardless of branch or position, needs to have some grounding in IT," Schneider said, speaking at AUSA’s Institute of Land Warfare Army Network Hot Topic forum in July."We need to think about the training that the Army provides" and augment that with training from industry and education institutions, Schneider said, adding that the Army also needs to work with colleges and universities to bring IT and cyber graduates into the military system.Ronald Pontius, deputy to the commanding general, United States Army Cyber Command, said the Army is well on its way to building its portion of the overall cyber mission force.The active duty portion is approximately 1,900 military personnel and civilians, which equates to 41 cyber mission teams.Pontius also said 25 of the teams are already at initial operational capability, "and all 41 will be at full operational capability" by fiscal year 2017.In the reserve component, Pontius said, the Army is going to stand up 21 cyber protection teams in the National Guard, and 20 in the Army Reserve, by FY 19.The first National Guard team had its patch ceremony a few months ago, he added.The need for these talents is significant, and teams are being fielded as quickly as they are trained."Right now, Army Cyber Command is supporting eight named operations worldwide in support of various combatant commands," Pontius said."We have to realize that we depend on our cyber workforce," said Maj. Gen. Stephen Fogarty, commanding general, Army Cyber Center of Excellence and Fort Gordon, Ga., adding that Army cyber capabilities are "a national treasure."Fogarty said the Army’s cyber branch, authorized by the secretary of the Army in September 2014, is a small workforce, currently sized at about 3,000 personnel.The first cyber branch Basic Officer Leader Course, or BOLC, will begin in August of 2015."We have to develop and manage our talent very differently," because the Army is competing with organizations like Google and Microsoft to recruit people with cyber aptitude, Fogarty said.