DEC. 22, 2017—JAN. 21, 2018 • THE CSRA’S MONTHLY BUSINESS MAGAZINE
FOCUS ON FITNESS Pages 22-23
THE FUTURE IS NOW
CSRA POISED TO BECOME A WORLD LEADER IN CYBER BY GARY KAUFFMAN
The CSRA is poised for a once-in-alifetime opportunity to become to cyber what Silicon Valley is to computing. Dr. Tom Clark and the Alliance for Fort Gordon are at the forefront of making sure the area doesn’t miss its chance. In 2019, the Army will officially move its Cyber Command to Fort Gordon, making it the epicenter for all things involving computer software, hardware and networking. Its focus will be on how to protect the United States’ networks, how to attack an enemy’s network and to understand all the nuances of warfare in a digital age. “It’s not sexy like a tank or a plane,” Clark said, “but they’re taking UAV footage from Iraq and Afghanistan in real time, analyzing it and then send it back (to the battlefront) in real time. The folks at Fort Gordon are saving lives on a daily basis.” For the first time ever, the Army will be placing the operational army and the training and doctrinal command on the same base. That will allow both to learn from each other in real time. Clark, executive director of the Alliance, has gone so far as to label the Augusta area the “Fort Gordon Cyber District” in anticipation of what he expects will happen over the next decade. The district encompasses seven counties in Georgia and South Carolina. “Our mission is to promote and advocate for this area to become the Silicon Valley of the South by 2020,” Clark said. “We are well on our way to do that. Fortune magazine said we’re the dark horse
HAPPY NEW YEAR
Tom Clark, executive director of the Alliance for Fort Gordon, stands next to a sign at the Augusta Regional Airport informing visitors about the area’s Cyber District. Photo contributed
to do that. I believe that horse is up and running in the race.” Growth is Already Happening Cyber Command is a key component in nosing that horse into the lead, and the ramifications of that are becoming evident in the Augusta area. Fort Gordon has already brought thousands of soldiers and their families to the area over the past few years, and expects to add another 1,200 soldiers and 3,000
of their family members in 2019. Companies dealing with cyber technology have begun opening offices in Augusta and more will come. But it isn’t just companies involved in cyber who will benefit from Augusta’s new role. Even low tech companies like barbershops, pizza restaurants and gas stations will benefit. “As Fort Gordon grows, so does the community,” Clark said. “Every job on post creates two jobs off post.”
While most of the growth so far has been in Columbia County, especially in the Grovetown area, Clark said the impact will be felt throughout the CSRA. Each community, from Edgefield and Aiken to Thomson, offers unique characteristics that will appeal to different soldiers and their families. That includes more than 13,000 retired personnel who choose to stay in the area. See CYBER on Page 2