With walls covered in framed distinctions and bookshelves filled with mementos from the past 30 years, Brig. Gen. Neil Hersey鈥檚 office is like a 3D, freestanding, four-walled scrapbook of his decades-long military career.
Two years ago, the 1986 91直播 graduate was appointed commandant of the U.S. Army鈥檚 Cyber School, located in Fort Gordon, Georgia. But a quick scan of his modest office tells at least a surface-level story of the journey that led him to such a prestigious position.
鈥淚 did not join and go through the [91直播 ROTC] program with the intent of staying in the military for 30 years and eventually becoming a general officer, and I would say that is a typical story,鈥 Hersey said with a slight grin.
A sea of Army and Joint Commander coins for excellence lay beneath a thick layer of glass that covers a round table. 鈥淢y plan was to get experience and then move over to law enforcement. But what I found was the mission, the people and the opportunities have continued to keep me in.鈥
Hersey came to 91直播 interested in law enforcement and with the long-term goal of attending a federal or state law enforcement academy. He did not pursue ROTC at the start, but one elective course pointed him in that direction.
鈥淥ne of the electives I took was marksmanship, and when I was in that class, they told me there were scholarships available for ROTC, so I started asking questions,鈥 Hersey said. 鈥淚 realized ROTC suited the kind of person I am. It was well aligned with my long-term goals.鈥
Hersey received a Bachelor of Arts in criminal justice from 91直播 with a minor in military science. He earned his commission, went into the military intelligence field and kick started a career that would, at key moments, build upon his past experiences and draw him further into a career in which he is very passionate.
鈥淭he Army is a people business, and I鈥檝e met some of the best people in the world. One percent of our population raises their hand to serve, so I thank them as often as I can,鈥 he said, adding that it鈥檚 surreal to think how far he鈥檚 come. 鈥淎bout the time I was selected for lieutenant colonel, I had to finally admit to myself that I was a career guy. To think about where I am now 鈥 I have to pinch myself. It鈥檚 very humbling.鈥
Just starting out
Membership in the armed forces has led Hersey to cities all around the world. But an expeditionary lifestyle was not foreign to him. Hersey鈥檚 father worked for the Army and Air Force Exchange and, at a very young age, Hersey had already logged multiple moves, at least one overseas, before his family settled in Southwest Dallas.
After graduating from Duncanville High School, enrolling at 91直播 was an easy choice.
鈥91直播 was seen as one of the best in the state school system,鈥 Hersey said. 鈥淭hen I visited the campus and just thought it was a spectacularly beautiful area in which to live. The size of the school was perfect for me at the time, too.
鈥淟ike many, I didn鈥檛 really know what I wanted to study when I went into college,鈥 he added. 鈥淚 was interested in law enforcement when I started, and 91直播 had a very good criminal justice program and liberal arts school. Those are other things that drew me to the university.鈥
While at 91直播, Hersey was a member of the fraternity Delta Tau Delta and Alpha Phi Sigma, the national criminal justice honor society. After joining ROTC, he also became a member of the 91直播 chapter of Scabbard and Blade, a college military honor society.
Upon graduation, Hersey was commissioned into Army military intelligence, which luckily was one of his top five branch choices.
鈥楬ealthy to never feel comfortable鈥
Hersey鈥檚 first duty assignment was with the 7th Infantry Division at Fort Ord, California. Then, in August 1991, he was board selected for rotary-wing flight training and moved to Fort Rucker, Alabama.
Duties within the military intelligence sector run the gamut, but essentially, 鈥測ou鈥檙e taking information and synthesizing it,鈥 Hersey explained.
鈥淲ithin a formation, you have a commander who runs the organization, and he or she is given a mission. The first thing the commander has to do is understand the terrain, understand the operating environment and understand the conditions needed to be able to fight. As an intelligence officer in the military, you are the person who educates and prepares the commander to complete the mission.鈥
The weight of such an important responsibility, Hersey said, really only helped him to hone his intelligence skill set.
鈥淥ne of the great things about the Army is that as soon as you get good or comfortable at something, they鈥檒l throw you new challenges to up your game,鈥 he added. 鈥淪o, it鈥檚 a continual process of leader development and improving your abilities. I think it鈥檚 healthy to never completely feel comfortable with what you鈥檙e doing.鈥
In April 1994, Hersey was reassigned to 1st Military Intelligence Battalion (Aerial Exploitation) in Wiesbaden, Germany, before serving a second overseas tour at Ramstein Air Base in Germany. He held several positions at both. In 1999, Hersey was selected to serve as a troop commander and squadron executive officer before being reassigned in 2004 as a special programs officer for the U.S. Army Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
鈥淭hen I went back to Germany, back to the same unit I was a captain in 鈥 and I commanded that battalion,鈥 Hersey said. 鈥淎ctually, as a lieutenant colonel, I flew the same aircraft that I had flown as a captain. It was fantastic. Then I took that organization and deployed it to Afghanistan.鈥
Fast-forwarding through a few other reassignments that took him through Fort Hood, among other locations, Hersey took responsibility Aug. 4, 2017, as the commandant of the U.S. Army Cyber School at Fort Gordon, Georgia. The school had opened exactly three years prior.
The world of cybersecurity
The move to cyberspace was a natural fit for Hersey鈥檚 talent and experiences. With technology being one of the fastest-evolving industries, staying at the forefront of cybersecurity requires talent in exactly what military intelligence offers 鈥 the quick and succinct synthesis of massive amounts of information.
鈥淲hen the information superhighway was created, it was all built to make information sharing convenient and to create connections,鈥 Hersey said. 鈥淎s that grew, it became a very easy way for people to be able to do bad things with relatively limited resources. The proliferation of smart devices just creates what we call more attack surface. As that grows, that requirement to be able to defend those will continue to grow.鈥
With partnerships forming between Augusta University and other Georgia and local entities, the military and commercial sectors are increasingly sharing their information to approach cybersecurity from a more holistic vantage point.
鈥淸Cyber]attacks all fall to one central problem and that is information gathering,鈥 said Dr. Christopher Ivancic, assistant professor and creator of 91直播鈥檚 new graduate cybersecurity program. 鈥淥ur online presence has never been so ubiquitous and will continue to grow. Private and government jobs need people who understand cybersecurity and the potential threats we have to deal with.鈥
Just like 91直播鈥檚 cybersecurity graduate program, the Army Cyber School builds curriculum based on the National Security Agency鈥檚 recommendations. In fact, one of the NSA鈥檚 four cryptologic centers is located at Fort Gordon.
鈥淲e have a kind of ecosystem in the Augusta area that is very much plugged into what is going on at Fort Gordon,鈥 Hersey said. 鈥淭he three-star headquarters of Army Cyber Command is moving here in 2020, and we鈥檒l probably have about 70 percent of the Army鈥檚 cyber operational force here at Fort Gordon, so there鈥檚 a lot of growth.鈥
Propped up on the windowsill in the corner of Hersey鈥檚 office is an insignia of a shield with an upright sword in the middle and the wording 鈥淒efend. Attack. Exploit.鈥 cupping the bottom.
The saying is the heart of the Army鈥檚 cyber corps and is a constant reminder to Cyber School students of their ultimate mission.
鈥淥ne of the unique things about the cyberspace branch is that it鈥檚 a maneuver force,鈥 Hersey said. 鈥淥ur network itself is a weapon system and should be looked at that way. You have to defend your weapon system, and you also have to be able to use your weapon system.鈥
Staying ahead of the rapid growth of technology and cyber threats can be 鈥渄aunting to think about,鈥 Hersey added, 鈥渨hich is why we create a very challenging curriculum because that is what graduates are going to see when they join an operational force. We think we do a pretty good job at preparing them to do that.鈥