Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Lorna Mahlock was confirmed by the Senate on Friday evening as deputy commander of U.S. Cyber Command, where she could have an outsized influence as the organization prepares for new leadership and other major changes.
She was nominated for the position by President Donald Trump.
Her Senate confirmation, which happened via voice vote, means she’ll also pin on a third star and become a lieutenant general.
Mahlock brings deep cyber knowledge and background to her new role.
She has been serving as commander of the U.S. military’s elite Cyber National Mission Force since January 2024, and was the first Marine to hold that job. The CNMF conducts so-called “hunt-forward” operations and other activities in the digital realm, including supporting the military’s contingency ops.
Prior to that, she worked at the National Security Agency’s Cybersecurity Directorate as deputy director for combat support. She also previously served as the Marine Corps’ assistant deputy commandant for information, director for command, control, communications and computers, and CIO, according to her bio posted on a Cybercom website.
Mahlock has held a variety of roles during her career. Born in Jamaica, she enlisted in the Marines after immigrating to the United States. She subsequently became an officer after going through the Marine Corps Enlisted Commissioning Education Program and graduating from Marquette University.
She’s also a certified Federal Aviation Administration tower local controller and Marine aviation weapons and tactics instructor.
“She has commanded and led at various levels globally and in combat including: Air Traffic Control Detachment Commander; 1st Stinger Battery; Marine Corps Instructional Management School; G3 Future Operations 1st Marine Aircraft Wing; Operation SOUTHERN OVERWATCH and IRAQI FREEDOM 01; IRAQI FREEDOM 02; Marine Air Command and Control Systems Experimental; Commanding Officer – IRAQI FREEDOM 08; Headquarters European Command; Marine Corps Office of Legislative Affairs; Deputy Director of Operations, Plans Policy and Operations, (PP&O) Headquarters United States Marine Corps,” per her bio.
Mahlock is stepping into the deputy commander role at Cybercom as digital capabilities are becoming more closely integrated with major U.S. military operations. Examples include Cybercom’s involvement in the strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities during Operation Midnight Hammer last year, and the recent raid to capture Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro during Operation Absolute Resolve.
“The reality is … that we’ve now pulled cyber operators to the forefront,” Air Force Brig. Gen. Ryan Messer, deputy director for global operations, J-3, on the Joint Staff, told lawmakers during a congressional hearing last week.
The Pentagon also recently rolled out a new force generation model under the “Cybercom 2.0” initiative, amid a broader debate about whether the military needs to establish a new independent service focused on cyber.
Mahlock is coming into her new job after a long period of leadership uncertainty at Cyber Command and NSA, which are co-located at Fort Meade, Maryland, and share a director under a so-called “dual-hat” arrangement.
In April 2025, the Trump administration fired Air Force Gen. Timothy Haugh as Cybercom commander and NSA director. Since then, Army Lt. Gen. William Hartman has been the acting boss of those organizations. Navy Rear Adm. Dennis Velez has been serving as acting deputy commander at Cybercom.
Mahlock’s deep cyber knowledge and background working with the CNMF and NSA could be especially important for supporting the next Cybercom chief.
Army Lt. Gen. Joshua Rudd has been nominated by Trump to lead the combatant command and NSA. He’s currently the deputy commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, and much of his career was spent in the special operations community. His public bios posted by Indo-Pacom and the Army do not list any cyber-specific roles that he’s held.
Cybercom commanders typically have a greater cyber background before stepping into the job.
Meanwhile, the NSA recently announced Tim Kosiba as its deputy director. He will work under Rudd if the nominee is confirmed as head of the intelligence agency.
