​The first CyberPatriot season consisted of one round of in-person competition at the Air Force Association's 25th Air Warfare Symposium in Orlando, Florida. Eight teams from the Orlando area competed - seven Air Force JROTC teams and one Civil Air Patrol team. Competitors used SAIC's CyberNEXS program to find vulnerabilities and harden the defense of a W​indows system. After the two-day event, the inaugural CyberPatriot National Finals Championship was bestowed upon the Osceola High School Air Force JROTC team.

The first CyberPatriot competition was designed as a proof of concept. After enthusiastic responses from the Competitors, industry professionals, and senior military leaders, the program was considered a success, and staff quickly made plans for expansion.​