Greg Conti, in the Spring 2009 issue of IA Newsletter:

Make no mistake -- the cyber cold war is being waged now.

The revolution in cyberwarfare ... necessitates the formation of a cyberwarfare branch of the military, on equal footing with the Army, Navy, and Air Force. We do not make this recommendation lightly.

The culture of each service is evident in its uniforms. Absent is recognition for technical expertise. The cultures of the Army, Navy, and Air Force are fundamentally incompatible with that of cyberwarfare. NSA is not the right type of organization. Unit bake sales are unlikely to attract and retain the best and brightest.

The change will not be easy, but the risks inherent in maintaining the status quo are significantly worse.

From a recent WaPo story about Rod Beckstrom:

"He brought a completely different perspective, which in one way could have been his undoing," said a senior member of the intelligence community.

From a 2005 NYT op-ed:

The Army will need this lieutenant 20 years from now when he could be a colonel, or 30 years from now when he could have four stars on his collar. But I doubt he will be in uniform long enough to make captain.

Mike Wertheimer, the idea rat behind A-Space:

"I am threatening the status quo, and that's a hard pill to swallow for anybody."

About Sean Naylor:

Like any good reporter, he seeks to tell the whole tale, and some of what he reports the senior leadership would prefer not to hear.

Your daily dose of Simpsons:

Frink: "Now that I have your attention, we have some exciting new research from young Lisa Simpson. Let's bring her out and pay attention."

Scientist #1: "She's just a little girl!"

Scientist #2: "Let's not listen!"

Rumsfeld:

Sure, we have to worry about platforms and ships and guns and tanks and planes and that stuff. That is not what the department of defense has to be about.

RAND:

The point that we wish to convey is that it is now fairly easy to devise scenarios in which the United States "loses" a war, something that seemed impossible during the post-Cold War era.

A final thought from BG Mark Kimmitt:

"I'm an artillery officer, and I can't fire cannons at the Internet."

Is it Time for a Cyberwarfare Branch?