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Wynne taps Barksdale to host Cyber Command

The Air Force Cyber Command will be headquartered, at least on an interim basis, at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., Secretary of the Air Force Michael Wynne announced Wednesday while visiting Barksdale and the base’s surrounding communities.

Wynne is expected to offer more details about Cyber Command on Tuesday as the part of the Air Force’s Pentagon celebration of its 60th anniversary.

The command will likely be led by a two-star general, officials said. While four-star generals traditionally head Air Force major commands, commands with fewer members, such as Air Force Special Operations Command, have two- or three-star generals in charge.

Like the other major commands, Cyber Command will answer directly to the secretary and the chief of staff.

There had been some consideration that Cyber Command would come under Air Combat Command’s 8th Air Force, headquartered at Barksdale. The 8th oversees much of the service’s computer network defense and information warfare capabilities. The commander of the 8th, Lt. Gen. Robert Elder, has been the service’s point man for mapping out Cyber Command’s structure and requirements for training members and acquiring equipment.