Since 2022, the organization has significantly pushed back against camps trying to package and sell "VIP packages" by restricting them from getting early setup passes, water deliveries, trailer & intermodal container delivery, etc. Without those support services, the model has become pretty unattractive.
Also, Burning Man is very intentional about its culture, with de-commodification as one of its main principles. The spotlight that got put on this issue a few years ago has really pushed these camps out, as of 2025.
As far as housing, most people sleep in tents, including specialized dome tents with reflective coating for the heat, but those are still essentially tents. Others sleep in RVs/trailers/vehicles. There isn't anyone building a condo tower in the desert.
I'm not trying to sound snarky, but the armed forces does have a category of employees who can't be involuntarily deployed: civilians. There are already many civilian employees of the DoD that work in the tech roles discussed in the article.
I've been looking at this personally. It's not stated in the article, but the initiative is known as constructive service credit for cyber direct commissions.
The way it works is basically the same as reserve officer recruiting, but with a higher starting rank.
You'd get in contact with an officer recruiter for the service branch you're interested in, using the normal channels. They have a deserved reputation for ghosting candidates, but they generally spend most of their effort on candidates further down the pipeline. One recommendation I got was to get in touch with an enlisted recruiter who can confirm your eligibility to serve and refer you as a qualified lead to an officer recruiter.
Air Force officer appointments are the most competitive (3-10% of people who meet all application requirements and medical qualifications are selected), and they are stingy on medical waivers.
The Navy is only slightly less competitive but reputed to be the most permissive with waivers.
One thing to know is that waivers for medical issues are issued without regard to your nonmedical qualifications. So if Jeff Bezos had a bad knee, that would disqualify even him.
When I moved and was looking for a new vet and dentist, I specifically asked each one about their ownership structure and didn't choose any that were owned by a PE firm.
Since 2022, the organization has significantly pushed back against camps trying to package and sell "VIP packages" by restricting them from getting early setup passes, water deliveries, trailer & intermodal container delivery, etc. Without those support services, the model has become pretty unattractive.
Also, Burning Man is very intentional about its culture, with de-commodification as one of its main principles. The spotlight that got put on this issue a few years ago has really pushed these camps out, as of 2025.
As far as housing, most people sleep in tents, including specialized dome tents with reflective coating for the heat, but those are still essentially tents. Others sleep in RVs/trailers/vehicles. There isn't anyone building a condo tower in the desert.