DVIDS – News – Cyberspace Developer’s Course Critical to Retention and National Security

FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, Md. – Cyber Soldiers and a Marine graduated from the 11-month Tool Developer Qualification Course (TDQC) in a ceremony hosted by the 780th Military Intelligence Brigade (Cyber) at the Post Theater, July 13.

The United States Army has partnered with the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) to train Soldiers and Marines to become Cyberspace Capability Developers.

The nation’s demand, makes the retention of cyberspace Soldiers more challenging; however, in addition to a unique mission set, programs like 170D, Cyber Capabilities Developer Technician (https://recruiting.army.mil/170d/) warrant officer recruitment; the 780th MI Brigade’s in house certification of Network +; Security +; Certified Ethical Hacker and CISSP; and education partnership programs like TDQC are essential if the U.S. Army and Marine Corps want to retain the “best and the brightest.”

Army Gen. Paul M. Nakasone, commander, U.S. Cyber Command and director, National Security Agency chief, Central Security Service, told the House Armed Forces Committee in March 2020, “I continue to pursue creative ways to leverage our nation’s best and brightest to want to contribute to our missions.”

According to the 780th MI Brigade S3 (operations) program managers, graduates of the TDQC course are proficient to an intermediate level in creating programs using the C and Python computer programming languages, and provides an education path for individuals to become experienced at 90 percent of the identified critical developer requirements that an individual must be able to articulate and demonstrate through practical application in order to be certified as a Cyberspace Capability Developer.

“Its purpose is to educate individuals who have little to no computer programming experience that have been identified through an assessment as having an aptitude and desire to become a computer programmer,” said Sgt. 1st Class Corbin Greeff, a brigade senior Non-Commissioned Officer.

The 2021 TDQC graduating class includes: Spc. William Colley; Spc. Arthur Gould; Staff Sgt….