A one-star Army general overseeing the capabilities and resource integration directorate at U.S. Cyber Command was removed in September, Army Times and C4ISRNET have learned.
Brig. Gen. Christopher Reid was serving as head of the J8 staff element at the Maryland-based unified combatant command, where he oversaw planning for resource allocation, force structure and capability development.
CYBERCOM, which is co-located with the National Security Agency at Fort Meade, Maryland, safeguards Department of Defense information networks and coordinates military cyberspace activities, including hunt-forward operations, which were used to bolster Ukrainian systems ahead of Russia’s invasion.
Reid was relieved because CYBERCOM’s leader, Gen. Paul Nakasone, “lost confidence” in his “ability to continue to perform his duties,” a command spokesperson said. It was ultimately recommended Reid be reassigned.
An acting director for the J8 is now in place, said the spokesperson, who indicated the command is working to nominate and secure a permanent replacement.
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Since his removal from CYBERCOM, Reid has served at the Pentagon as a special assistant to the director of the Army staff, Lt. Gen. Walter Piatt.
Army spokeswoman Cynthia O. Smith confirmed Reid’s reassignment, adding that the general is “pending the outcome of an investigation.” She did not specify the type of investigation Reid faces.
Army Times and C4ISRNET contacted Reid about his move on Dec. 12. He referred all inquiries to Army public affairs.
Other than the unspecified investigation, it’s not clear what led to Nakasone removing Reid from his post. Military officials frequently cite a commander’s loss of “confidence” in the fired leader to avoid disclosing the circumstances that led to their relief, whether in an attempt to preserve due process or to avoid embarrassment.
Davis Winkie covers the Army for Military Times. He studied history at Vanderbilt and UNC-Chapel Hill, and served five years in the Army Guard. His investigations earned the Society of Professional Journalists' 2023 Sunshine Award and consecutive Military Reporters and Editors honors, among others. Davis was also a 2022 Livingston Awards finalist.
Colin Demarest was a reporter at C4ISRNET, where he covered military networks, cyber and IT. Colin had previously covered the Department of Energy and its National Nuclear Security Administration — namely Cold War cleanup and nuclear weapons development — for a daily newspaper in South Carolina. Colin is also an award-winning photographer.
