FMS Cyber Patriots Advance to Semi-Finals and Take 2nd in Virginia

Fishburne Military School CyberPatriot Team Wins Silver Tier 2^nd Place in Virginia Award

Waynesboro, VA – A team of cadets from Fishburne Military School in Waynesboro, VA recently concluded an exceptional round of competition in the tenth season of CyberPatriot – the Air

Fishburne’s Cyber-patriot Team skype with JMU Cyber Defense Club during a training session last season. FMS file photo.

Force Association’s National Youth Cyber Defense Competition.

Established by AFA in 2009, CyberPatriot is designed to excite, educate, and motivate students toward careers in cyber security and other science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines critical to our nation’s future.

CyberPatriot’s core program – the National Youth Cyber Defense Competition – challenges teams of students across the United States, Canada, and from DoDD schools abroad, to find and resolve cybersecurity vulnerabilities in simulated environments. Top teams from the preliminary online rounds earn an all-expenses-paid trip to Baltimore, Md., for the in-person National Finals Competition, where students compete for national recognition and scholarships.

Sponsored on campus by FMS JROTC and led by Senior Army Instructor, LTC Robert Hunt, the Fishburne Military School team excelled in the CyberPatriot X State Round held Jan. 19-21, demonstrating teamwork, critical thinking skills, and technical knowledge key to a successful career in cybersecurity. The team’s performance earned it Virginia’s 2^nd Place Award and a spot in the Silver Tier Semifinal Round.

Fishburne Military School CyberPatriots during competition last season. FMS file photo.

“This is an outstanding opportunity for our young men to explore a cutting-edge industry and build competence and confidence when it comes to operating in an increasingly digital world,” explained Hunt. “What these young men are doing today will set them ahead of their peers for years to come.”

Following the Regional/Category Round and Middle School Division Semifinals Round, top teams in the Open and All Service Divisions’ Platinum Tier and the top three Middle School Division teams nationally will advance to the CyberPatriot X National Finals Competition in Baltimore, Md., in April.

Fishburne Military School is the oldest and smallest of all military schools for boys in Virginia. Its college-prep curriculum is built on the structure of an Army JROTC program. FMS has been designated as a JROTC Honor Unit with Distinction and may nominate qualified candidates to the United States Service Academies. Fishburne hosts one of only four Summer JROTC programs in the nation that is accredited by US Army Cadet Command. More information about CyberPatriot is available at www.uscyberpatriot.org or from the CyberPatriot staff at info@uscyberpatriot.org.

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