688th Cyberspace Wing

Last updated

688th Cyberspace Wing
USAF - 688th Cyberspace Wing.png
688th Cyberspace Wing emblem (approved 14 June 1994 [1]
Active1953–present
CountryFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States
BranchFlag of the United States Air Force.svg  United States Air Force
RoleCyberspace Research and Development
Size1388 military and civilians [2]
Part of Sixteenth Air Force
Garrison/HQ Joint Base San Antonio, Texas
Decorations Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
Commanders
Current
commander
Colonel Joshua Rockhill
Current Vice-CommanderColonel Chantel Booker

The United States Air Force's 688th Cyberspace Wing is a cyberspace operations unit located at Joint Base San Antonio (Lackland), Texas. [3]

Contents

The wing delivers information operations and engineering infrastructure for air, space, and cyberspace military operations. It supports national, joint and Air Force operations.

Component units

Unless otherwise indicated, units are based at Kelly Field Annex, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, and subordinate units are located at the same location as their commanding group. [4] [5]

History

In July 1953, United States Air Force Security Service organized the 6901st and 6902d Special Communications Centers at Brooks Air Force Base, Texas. [6] [7] One month later, these two organizations were replaced by the Air Force Special Communications Center, located on the other side of San Antonio, Texas at Kelly Air Force Base. The center became the Air Force Electronic Warfare Center in July 1975. [2]

Air Force successes in exploiting enemy information systems during Operation Desert Storm led to the realization that the strategies and tactics of command and control warfare could be expanded to the entire information spectrum and be implemented as information warfare. In response, the center was redesignated the Air Force Information Warfare Center on 10 September 1993, [2] combining technical skill sets from the existing center with the Air Force Cryptologic Support Center's Securities Directorate and intelligence capabilities from the former Air Force Intelligence Command.

In May 2007, after 54 years of being aligned with United States Air Force Security Service and its successors, the center became part of Air Combat Command and was reassigned to Eighth Air Force. This assignment did not last long, for in August 2009 the center was redesignated the 688th Information Operations Wing and was assigned to Twenty-Fourth Air Force of Air Force Space Command. [2]

The Air Force Information Operations Center became the 688th Cyberspace Wing on 18 August 2009 as planned by the initial Air Force Cyber Command plan of 2007 and 2008. [8]

Today the wing has a staff of nearly 1,400 civil and military personnel, [2] and based in the same location as United States Strategic Command's Joint Information Operations Warfare Center. It is currently commanded by Colonel James Hewitt and is subordinate to Sixteenth Air Force. [8]

Lineage

Organized on 1 August 1953

Assignments

Components

Stations

Awards

Award streamerAwardDatesNotes
AFOUA Streamer.JPG Air Force Outstanding Unit Award 1 November 1965 – 1 November 1967Air Force Special Communications Center [1]
AFOUA Streamer.JPG Air Force Outstanding Unit Award18 August 2009 – 1 October 2010688th Information Operations Wing [2]
AFOUA Streamer.JPG Air Force Outstanding Unit Award1 October 2013 – 30 September 2014688th Cyberspace Wing [2]
AFOEA Streamer.jpg Air Force Organizational Excellence Award 1 January 1974 – 1 January 1976Air Force Special Communications Center (later Air Force Electronic Warfare Center) [2]
AFOEA Streamer.jpg Air Force Organizational Excellence Award(2) Jan 1976 – 1 Jan 1979Air Force Electronic Warfare Center [2]
AFOEA Streamer.jpg Air Force Organizational Excellence Award2 January 1979 – 31 December 1981Air Force Electronic Warfare Center [2]
AFOEA Streamer.jpg Air Force Organizational Excellence Award1 January 1988 – 31 December 1989Air Force Electronic Warfare Center [2]
AFOEA Streamer.jpg Air Force Organizational Excellence Award1 January 1990 – 31 December 1991Air Force Electronic Warfare Center [2]
AFOEA Streamer.jpg Air Force Organizational Excellence Award1 May 1993 – 31 May 1994Air Force Electronic Warfare Center (later Air Force Information Warfare Center) [2]
AFOEA Streamer.jpg Air Force Organizational Excellence Award1 June 1994 – 31 May 1996Air Force Information Warfare Center [2]
AFOEA Streamer.jpg Air Force Organizational Excellence Award1 June 1996 – 31 May 1997Air Force Information Warfare Center [2]
AFOEA Streamer.jpg Air Force Organizational Excellence Award1 June 1997 – 31 May 1998Air Force Information Warfare Center [2]
AFOEA Streamer.jpg Air Force Organizational Excellence Award1 June 2002 – 31 May 2003Air Force Information Warfare Center [2]
AFOEA Streamer.jpg Air Force Organizational Excellence Award1 June 2003 – 31 May 2004Air Force Information Warfare Center [2]
AFOEA Streamer.jpg Air Force Organizational Excellence Award1 June 2004 – 31 May 2006Air Force Information Warfare Center [2]

List of commanders

No.CommanderTerm
PortraitNameTook officeLeft officeTerm length
1
Portrait gray.png
Colonel
Michael Harasimowicz [11]
July 2013July 16, 2015~2 years, 15 days
2
Col Michelle L. Hayworth.jpg
Colonel
Michelle L. Hayworth [13]
July 16, 2015June 2017~1 year, 320 days
3
Col Eric P. DeLange.jpg
Colonel
Eric P. DeLange
June 2017June 25, 2019~2 years, 24 days
4
Col Steven J. Anderson.jpg
Colonel
Steven J. Anderson [15]
June 25, 2019July 1, 20214 years, 287 days
4
Colonel James V. Hewitt.jpg
Colonel
James V. Hewitt [17]
July 1, 2021Present2 years, 281 days

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Lacomia, John M. (14 August 2015). "Factsheet 688 Cyberspace Wing (USAFE)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 4 November 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 "Factsheet, 688th Cyberspace Wing". Twenty-Fourth Air Force Public Affairs. 17 December 2013. Retrieved 4 November 2015.
  3. Air Force News: "Official detail scope, units of AFCYBER command"
  4. "688th Cyberspace Wing". Sixteenth Air Force. US Air Force. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
  5. Wiley De Moura, Nadine (19 May 2022). "The 688th Cyberspace Wing activates the 692nd Cyberspace Operations Squadron to consolidate". Sixteenth Air Force (Air Forces Cyber). US Air Force. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  6. Mukeller, p. 55
  7. United States Air Force, Air Force Information Operations Center Factsheet Archived 23 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine , accessed December 2008
  8. 1 2 Intelligence Online. , accessed January 2009
  9. Musser, James (22 October 2019). "Factsheet Sixteenth Air Force (Air Forces Cyber) ACC". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
  10. "688th Cyberspace Wing conducts change of command ceremony".
  11. "688th Cyberspace Wing conducts change of command ceremony".
  12. "Brigadier General Michelle L. Hayworth".
  13. "Brigadier General Michelle L. Hayworth".
  14. "Colonel Steven J. Anderson".
  15. "Colonel Steven J. Anderson".
  16. "Colonel James V. Hewitt".
  17. "Colonel James V. Hewitt".

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References

PD-icon.svg This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency