688th Cyberspace Wing | |
---|---|
Active | 1953–present |
Country | United States |
Branch | United States Air Force |
Role | Cyberspace Research and Development |
Size | 1388 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-Commander | Colonel 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]
The wing delivers information operations and engineering infrastructure for air, space, and cyberspace military operations. It supports national, joint and Air Force operations.
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]
Wing Staff
5th Combat Communications Group ( Robins AFB, Georgia)
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38th Cyberspace Engineering Installation Group
690th Cyberspace Operations Group
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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]
Award streamer | Award | Dates | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 November 1965 – 1 November 1967 | Air Force Special Communications Center [1] | |
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 18 August 2009 – 1 October 2010 | 688th Information Operations Wing [2] | |
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 October 2013 – 30 September 2014 | 688th Cyberspace Wing [2] | |
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award | 1 January 1974 – 1 January 1976 | Air Force Special Communications Center (later Air Force Electronic Warfare Center) [2] | |
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award | (2) Jan 1976 – 1 Jan 1979 | Air Force Electronic Warfare Center [2] | |
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award | 2 January 1979 – 31 December 1981 | Air Force Electronic Warfare Center [2] | |
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award | 1 January 1988 – 31 December 1989 | Air Force Electronic Warfare Center [2] | |
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award | 1 January 1990 – 31 December 1991 | Air Force Electronic Warfare Center [2] | |
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award | 1 May 1993 – 31 May 1994 | Air Force Electronic Warfare Center (later Air Force Information Warfare Center) [2] | |
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award | 1 June 1994 – 31 May 1996 | Air Force Information Warfare Center [2] | |
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award | 1 June 1996 – 31 May 1997 | Air Force Information Warfare Center [2] | |
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award | 1 June 1997 – 31 May 1998 | Air Force Information Warfare Center [2] | |
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award | 1 June 2002 – 31 May 2003 | Air Force Information Warfare Center [2] | |
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award | 1 June 2003 – 31 May 2004 | Air Force Information Warfare Center [2] | |
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award | 1 June 2004 – 31 May 2006 | Air Force Information Warfare Center [2] |
No. | Commander | Term | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Portrait | Name | Took office | Left office | Term length | |
1 | Colonel Michael Harasimowicz [10] | July 2013 | July 16, 2015 | ~2 years, 15 days | |
2 | Colonel Michelle L. Hayworth [11] | July 16, 2015 | June 2017 | ~1 year, 320 days | |
3 | Colonel Eric P. DeLange | June 2017 | June 25, 2019 | ~2 years, 24 days | |
4 | Colonel Steven J. Anderson [12] | June 25, 2019 | July 1, 2021 | 4 years, 298 days | |
4 | Colonel James V. Hewitt [13] | July 1, 2021 | Present | 2 years, 292 days |
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency