688th Cyberspace Wing

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

688th Cyberspace Wing
Active1953–present
Country United States
Branch United States Air Force
RoleCyberspace Research and Development
Size1388 military and civilians[1]
Part ofSixteenth Air Force
Garrison/HQJoint Base San Antonio, Texas
DecorationsAir Force Outstanding Unit Award
Commanders
Current
commander		Colonel Steven J. Anderson
Insignia
688th Cyberspace Wing emblem (approved 14 June 1994[2]

Mission

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]

History

In July 1953, United States Air Force Security Service organized the 6901st and 6902d Special Communications Centers at Brooks Air Force Base, Texas.[5][6] 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.[1]

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 Operations Center on 10 September 1993,[1] 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.[1]

The Air Force Information Operations Center became the 688th Information Operations Wing on 18 August 2009 as planned by the initial Air Force Cyber Command plan of 2007 and 2008.[7]

Today the wing has a staff of nearly 1,400 civil and military personnel,[1] and based in the same location as United States Strategic Command's Joint Information Operations Warfare Center. It is currently commanded by Colonel Steven Anderson and is subordinate to Sixteenth Air Force.[7]

Lineage
  • Designated on 24 July 1953 as the Air Force Special Communications Center
Organized on 1 August 1953
  • Redesignated Air Force Electronic Warfare Center on 1 July 1975
  • Redesignated Air Force Information Warfare Center on 10 September 1993
  • Redesignated Air Force Information Operations Center on 1 October 2006
  • Redesignated 688th Information Operations Wing on 18 August 2009
  • Redesignated 688th Cyberspace Wing on 13 September 2013[2]

Assignments
  • United States Air Force Security Service (later Electronic Security Command, Air Force Intelligence Command, Air Intelligence Agency), 1 August 1953
  • Eighth Air Force, 1 May 2007
  • Twenty-Fourth Air Force, 18 August 2009[2]
  • Sixteenth Air Force, 11 October 2019 – present[8]

Components
  • 38th Engineering Installation Group (later 38th Cyberspace Engineering Group, 38th Cyberspace Engineering and Installation Group): 3 February 2000 – present
  • 318th Information Operations Group (later 318th Cyberspace Operations Group): 1 August 2000 – present[1]

Stations

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

References

Notes
  1. "Factsheet, 688th Cyberspace Wing". Twenty-Fourth Air Force Public Affairs. 17 December 2013. Retrieved 4 November 2015.
  2. Lacomia, John M. (14 August 2015). "Factsheet 688 Cyberspace Wing (USAFE)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. 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. Mukeller, p. 55
  6. United States Air Force, Air Force Information Operations Center Factsheet Archived 23 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine, accessed December 2008
  7. Intelligence Online. , accessed January 2009
  8. Musser, James (22 October 2019). "Factsheet Sixteenth Air Force (Air Forces Cyber) ACC". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 8 February 2020.

Bibliography

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

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