Military leaders, both active duty and General Schedule (GS), must understand cyber warfare with its environmental connections and rapid evolution while finding ways to develop strategies that may lessen threats and attacks to government infrastructure. The Department of Defense (DoD) sought training and certification programs from the civilian sector to help create and enforce safeguards to ensure critical infrastructure was less susceptible to increasingly hostile cyber-attacks. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory single case study was to gain insight on Air Force leaders' perspectives of integrating civilian Information Technology (IT) certification training into the military IT certification process, the perception of benefits of such implementations, and how processes and benefits aligned with the DoD 8570 directive. The research method consisted of an exploratory case study focused on experiences of both military and civilian leaders at an AFB in the Southeastern United States. Data collection was conducted through audio-recorded interviews of 10 military leaders. Six themes emerged from data provided by participants when answering the two research questions. The DoD 8570 Mandate should address, revise and emphasize the guidance and polices surrounding the training program, and provide more information on how to manage the program. The DoD should improve the training and education specifically as it pertains to individuals' workloads. Finally, revisions in the program would vastly improve the success and potentially save money with consideration to a DoD created certification program. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]