http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123201885 

4/27/2010 - PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. (AFNS) -- Air Force Chief of 
Staff Gen. Norton A. Schwartz has approved the new cyberspace badge and 
associated wear criteria.

In his Apr. 21 memorandum, General Schwartz set forth guidelines and 
addressed standard eligibility requirements for officers working in the 
cyberspace domain. Eligibility criteria for enlisted personnel are 
slated for release in a future message.

Maj. Gen. Michael Basla, Air Force Space Command vice commander, who 
will wear the new badge, highlighted its significance.

"The Air Force mission -- to fly, fight and win in air, space and 
cyberspace -- acknowledges the significance and interrelationship of our 
three operational domains in effective warfighting. The establishment of 
the Air Force cyberspace badge underscores the crucial operational 
nature of the cyberspace mission," General Basla said.

Lt. Gen. William T. Lord, the Air Force's chief of warfighting 
integration and chief information officer said the new badge reflects 
the importance of cyber operations.

"The Air Force's cyberspace operators must focus on operational rigor 
and mission assurance in order to effectively establish, control and 
leverage cyberspace capabilities," he said. "The new cyberspace operator 
badge identifies our cyberspace professionals with the requisite 
education, training and experience to operate in this new critical 
domain. The badge symbolizes this new operational mindset and the Air 
Force's commitment to operationalize the cyberspace domain."

The new badge is authorized in three levels: basic, senior and master. 
Badge level eligibility criteria are consistent with those listed in Air 
Force Instruction 36-2903, Dress and Personal Appearance of Air Force 
Personnel. The guidance for the cyberspace badge will be included in the 
next revision of the AFI.

Certain officers are "grandfathered" and eligible to wear the new badge. 
Officers converting from the 33S to the 17D Air Force Specialty Code on 
April 30 are authorized the basic cyberspace badge. Officers may 
continue to wear the communications and information badge at the 
authorized level until Oct. 1, 2011.

Upon completing the Distance Learning Cyberspace Operations Transition 
Course -- the "X- course," Undergraduate Network Warfare Training or 
meeting criteria for upgrade, officers who earned the senior or master 
level communications and information badge are authorized to wear that 
same level of the cyberspace badge.

Officers from other AFSCs who have completed the X-course and have at 
least one year of cyberspace experience since Jan. 1, 2006, also are 
eligible to wear the cyberspace badge. The 17D career field manager is 
coordinating with Air Force Space Command's Space and Cyberspace 
Professional Management Office to identify eligible officers.

Beyond the grandfathering period, standard eligibility criteria will 
apply and officers will be identified in orders published by the 
commander of Air Force Space Command, who is responsible for cyberspace 
force development.

The AFSPC commander, in conjunction with the Air Staff functional 
authorities responsible for cyberspace-related specialties, will 
regularly approve authorization orders listing additional officers who 
have earned the badge.

The design element of the badge holds significant meaning. The lightning 
bolt wings signify the cyberspace domain while the globe signifies the 
projection of cyber power world-wide. The globe, combined with lightning 
bolt wings, signifies the Air Force's common communications heritage. 
The bolted wings, centered on the globe, are a design element from the 
Air Force seal signifying the striking power through air, space and 
cyberspace. The orbits signify the space dimension of the cyberspace 
domain.

The new badge is equal in precedence to the aeronautical and space 
badges. Those awarded multiples of the cyberspace, aeronautical and 
space badges must wear the cyberspace badge above the others while 
serving in a cyberspace billet.


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