The Navy Reserve is expanding its cyber warfare bench with a dedicated Maritime Cyber Warfare Officer specialty and revamped training that more closely links reservists with active-duty missions at the Operational Level of War. The move formalizes a pipeline for Reserve officers to develop deeper cyber expertise alongside the service’s enlisted cyber community and other Information Warfare professionals.
Before standing up the MCWO specialty, the Navy filled many Reserve cyber roles with officers from existing Information Warfare designators, including cryptologic and information professional billets. Officials say the new pathway is intended to cultivate targeted skills and increase capacity for cyberspace planning, network defense and integration with fleet operations.
“Reserve Maritime Cyber Warfare Officers bolster U.S. Navy Reserve Information Warfare Community (IWC) cyber capabilities, ensuring the Navy maintains a decisive edge in modern warfare,” said Rear Adm. Gregory Emery, Commander, Naval Information Force Reserve. “Their specialized skill sets enable us to confront emerging threats and strengthen our strategic advantage.”
Training is being aligned across the Reserve MCWO community, the CWT enlisted cyber cadre and other Information Warfare specialties to address increasingly complex digital threats. That includes a focus on the operational level—where campaigns are planned and executed—and on how cyber effects support sea control, missile defense and the protection of critical space and communications infrastructure.
“The seamless integration of Reserve Sailors into active-duty missions is critical to our success,” said Capt. Daniel Krowe, Reserve Maritime Cyber Warfare Community Lead. “Readiness is essential to operationalizing our Reserve IW Sailors and amplifying their effectiveness.”
The Reserve’s OLW-centric preparation emphasizes both technical proficiency and an understanding of the broader operational Environment, reflecting the reality that nation-states and non-state actors can use cyber tools to disrupt naval operations far from the front line. Leaders say repeated application of doctrine in realistic settings is essential.
“Repeated and intentional application of OLW concepts during exercises and training will strengthen Reserve Component MCWO and CWT expertise,” Capt. Krowe continued. “This iterative approach ensures our Sailors maintain a decisive warfighting edge.”
Central to that effort is the MAKO exercise series, the Navy Reserve’s annual operational-level training for Maritime Operations Center teams. During MAKO events, CWT and MCWO personnel work on simulated watch floors against realistic threats, honing coordination and decision-making while delivering cyber capabilities in tandem with active-duty counterparts.
The initiative parallels a broader Pentagon view of cyberspace as a decisive arena of conflict. The Navy has invested in specialized cyber roles and training over the past several years, including the establishment of an enlisted cyber rating and expanded Reserve participation in fleet-aligned cyber missions under U.S. Fleet Cyber Command.
“As we focus on current and future security landscapes, our ability to operate effectively in cyberspace will be a decisive factor in future maritime operations and conflicts,” said Rear Adm. Emery. “Our commitment to mastering cyber operations at the OLW is both a tactical necessity and a strategic imperative.”
With global tensions high and adversaries refining their digital playbooks, Navy leaders frame the Reserve’s growing cyber force as a hedge against rapidly evolving threats—and a way to ensure cyber effects are baked into planning and execution across every warfare area.
