“They are the heroes,” said Freeburg, founder of the nonprofit C-Cubed Training and the JROTC instructor at Pueblo’s Centennial High School, though he’s retiring this year. “These are the guys that are going to save the United States.”

C Cubed Training, supported by Cyber Cube in Pueblo, is working to close the gap in cybersecurity education for local students by offering access to computer resources and certifications in cybersecurity. 

“This is the first of many certifications they'll need to work in the field, but at their age, they are really a step ahead of the others working to earn these same certifications,” said Maj. John Freeburg, team coach.

On January 23, over the course of six taxing hours, three teams of Cyberdogs virtually matched wits and skills with 5,000 competitor teams in the third and final round of the 2020-21 CyberPatriot competition.