Walter Reed Army Medical Center Begins Partnership with Mississippi State University to Train Veterans in Digital Forensics

Newswise — Computer science professors at Mississippi State University will train "wounded warriors" in digital forensics at Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington D.C., to help improve job opportunities for them after leaving the military.

MSU's partnership with U. S. Army Garrison " Walter Reed models the university's similar course in digital forensics completed by more than 2,400 law enforcement officers from more than 20 states. Ray Vaughn, a professor at MSU's department of computer science and engineering, and David Dampier, an associate professor in computer science at the university, initiated the project with garrison commander Col. Bruce Haselden, which will be delivered under his Transition Employment Assistance Management Service Division.

The program, which begins on Jan. 29 with a formal ceremony, hosted by Maj. Gen. Carla G. Hawley-Bowland, Commanding General of North Atlantic Regional Medical Command and Walter Reed Army Medical Center, to sign a memorandum of understanding with MSU's vice president of research and economic development, Kirk Schulz. Other representatives from MSU, the Department of Defense, the National Science Foundation, and the Veteran's Administration will also attend.

The ceremony will begin at 5 p.m. in the Directorate, Family Morale, Welfare and Recreation Conference Center, located on the second floor, Building 11, Delano Hall, of Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

Schulz said working with Walter Reed helps the university fulfill its mission of helping the public, particularly veterans.

"MSU is committed to providing outstanding educational opportunities for our veterans, and this partnership is another step forward as we seek to be a national leader in veteran's issues," Schulz said.

Classes will also begin on Jan. 29 at the medical center and will be offered at no cost to the Department of Defense, the Veteran's Administration or participants in the training.

The National Science Foundation funded the bulk of the $1 million project during a period of three years. MSU serves as the lead institution for the program with Auburn and Tuskegee universities also partnering. Vaughn and Dampier will arrange for at least six classes at Walter Reed Medical Center to train wounded veterans in the field of digital forensics, helping better prepare them for employment when they enter the civilian workforce in collaboration with TEAMS.

Vaughn said the courses will help veterans learn to become digital forensics investigators in the field of cyber security. Classes, which will focus on analyzing collected media, will be taught in three phases to accommodate veterans with varying levels of computer experience and physical limitations. Priority to participate in the courses will be giving to minorities and women veterans. Once veterans complete the training, they may qualify to use veteran assistance programs to open their own consulting firms or seek employment with the government.

"What we're trying to do is help someone who may have had a traumatic experience during their military career or for some reason cannot continue in their military service and needs to make a career change," Vaughn said. "We're trying to offer them hope and a new vocation."

Dampier and staff at MSU's Forensics Training Center staff recently taught a successful prototype class at the Veteran's Administration hospital in Jackson.

Walter Reed Army Medical Center is the Army's flagship medical center in the eastern United States, serving more than 150,000 active and retired personnel in all branches of the U.S. military.

Robert F. Lentz, chief information assurance officer for the Office of the Secretary of Defense, said this partnership blends a growing need for certified forensics specialists to support information assurance/cyber security with providing job training for veterans.

"The alarming number of cyber intrusions and identity thefts require we greatly increase the number of first responders to assist the public and private sectors by quickly identifying and remediating cyber events," Lentz said. "Making this program available to our wounded warriors is a tremendous accomplishment." Mississippi State boasts a national reputation in cyber security and training and research through its Center for Computer Security Research, Cyber Corps program, National Forensics Training Center, and other quality programs. MSU and Auburn are both National Centers of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education.

MSU is also home to The G. V. "Sonny" Montgomery Center for America's Veterans, which provides military veteran educational support services.