Start with a Security+ cert. It is the baby entry level certification for information security, but it is widely respected. More importantly, it is the first

Start with a Security+ cert. It is the baby entry level certification for information security, but it is widely respected. More importantly, it is the first level of candidate screening for IT employment in the federal government. Graduate to the CISSP. It is a management certification, but for the last 20 years it has been considered the gold standard for information security employment, and that is likewise reflected in federal government employment. If you want to work in any relation to the DOD you will need a security clearance. If you have a regular federal background check that is active you are immediately more employable than other people. If you have a secret you are supremely more employable than other people. If you have a TS you are more employable than having a secret and can demand a much higher salary as a contractor, but to use a TS you will likely have to work on site at a SCIF. A graduate degree and prior military experience in a leadership capacity seem to be equally weighted for consideration in federal employment and are supremely beneficial. A graduate degree is more practical as military experience alone will not provide career elevation. Specifically for Cyber offense/security jobs you need to aware of CVE reports, reporting processes, mitigation, and security operations. It's absolutely more administrative and operational than technical, but technical skills are nonetheless essential for consideration. You will also want to look at the GSEC certifications, but those are ridiculously expensive.