Officials delay basing decision for Air Force Cyber Command

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BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. (AFPN) --  The decision for the final location of the Air Force Cyber Command was expected to be finalized before the official Oct. 1 stand up of the command, but Air Force leaders now say it will not be made until closer to the end of the year.

"This is to give us additional time to carefully review all the locations under consideration," said Maj. Gen. William T. Lord, AFCYBER (Provisional) commander. 

"We are currently reviewing how well the locations that have been identified to us match up to the needs of the Air Force," General Lord said.

Because of the sensitivities and classifications of portions of the command's mission, and to ensure fairness in the process, officials are not releasing the specific criteria being used in this process.

"You can be assured that each location is receiving a careful and thorough review, but in the end, the needs of the Air Force will carry the day," he said.

The general said they still anticipate narrowing down the choices to the top four places that best meet Air Force needs so the initial site surveys and additional environmental studies may begin. Once the environment studies are completed, which usually take six to eight months, the secretary of the Air Force will announce the final location.

In the meantime, AFCYBER still has a stand up date set for Oct. 1 and it will be assigned an interim location until the final location is announced.

"Our provisional teams will continue moving forward with defining the requirements needed to continue the command's journey toward full operational capabilities, which will take at least another year," General Lord said. "There are many decisions that must be made when creating a new major command. These decisions will affect the Air Force for many years to come. So, it's imperative we carefully consider all aspects of creating this command, including the careful selection of its final location."

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