What is the DoD 8570.1-M?  It’s part of a directive that’s part "Information Assurance Workforce Improvement Program".

This program mandates which mandates that every full- and part-time military service member, defense contractor, civilian and foreign employee with privileged access to a DoD system, regardless of job series or occupational specialty obtains a commercial certification credential that has been accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).

For personnel who are tasked with maintaining computer hardware and/or software, CompTIA A+ certification meets the T1 requirements of the directive.  CompTIA A+ Certification is the cornerstone of any IT career and allows a student to secure a position in a wide variety of industries.

According to the Department of Defense, 110,000 information workers will need to be certified over the next four years, and those certifications will need to be updated periodically through ongoing training.

Additionally, this certification is one of the few that allows a person a broad foundation they can use to take their careers in a number of directions. 

Advancing your career into networking, information security, systems administration, help desk, training, analysis and more are all possible as a person builds upon the skills they learned as an A+ Certified technician. 

The newly updated A+ Certification exam covers the new technologies and ensures a student has exposure to the most common components, setups and technologies likely to be found in the field.

The better trained a person is, the more likely they are to follow guidelines and understand not just the "how", but also the "why" behind the way something is done.  What does this mean for the government and agencies where security is paramount?  It means a more secure, stable and standards-compliant environment.