The following article was originally published in the Ohio Capital Journal and published on News5Cleveland.com under a content-sharing agreement.
The U.S. Air Force announced Wednesday the Mansfield Air National Guard Base, home of the 179th Airlift Wing, has been selected as the preferred site for the Air National Guard’s first Cyber Warfare Wing.
“This selection will build on the 179th Airlift Wing’s legacy of excellence to begin a new chapter in the cyber warfare domain,” said Maj. Gen. John C. Harris Jr., Ohio adjutant general. “The transition to a cyber wing places the Ohio National Guard at the forefront of leveraging cutting edge technologies and capabilities for national defense and mitigating emerging threats.”
The new cybersecurity mission in Mansfield will bring an additional 175 positions that are STEM and IT focused, a news release from Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said.
“I spoke directly with the Secretary of the Air Force today who gave me this outstanding news,” said Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said in a release. “Ohio is gaining a leading-edge mission that will strengthen the fabric of the military community and further solidify Ohio as a national leader in cybersecurity excellence. Not only will this new mission bring more jobs into the community, but it will also spur more economic growth and create new opportunities for industry and academic growth. This is a tremendous win for Mansfield and for the entire state.”
Among the criteria reportedly considered in the decision were manpower, recruiting, and retention; building capacity and connectivity; environmental; construction costs; and cost of living.
The Air Force has not yet announced a timeline for the new mission, however the next step is expected to be an environmental assessment of the site.
