A Brief History of the 688th Cyberspace Wing 688th Cyberspace Wing History Office 102 Hall Boulevard, Suite 347 Joint Base San Antonio–Lackland, Texas 78243-7078 13 January 2016 DELIVERING ASYMMETRIC ADVANTAGE HISTORICAL OVERVIEW Air Force Special focused on five key areas. First, AFSCC produced and disseminated long-term Communications Center intelligence data for USAFSS and the Air Force. Second, AFSCC oversaw the The 688th Cyberspace USAFSS School for intelligence specialists. Wing’s (688 CW) Third, AFSCC provided technical guidance earliest functional and operational assistance to USAFSS units predecessor was the in the field. Fourth, AFSCC assisted the 6901st Special USAFSS Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications Center Operations with developing and testing (6901 SCC). On 1 July 1953, the operational procedures and techniques in Department of the Air Force designated and support of both the USAFSS mission and organized the 6901 SCC at Brooks Air Air Force intelligence efforts. Fifth, AFSCC Force Base (AFB), San Antonio, Texas as a directed and monitored operation of the temporary provisional unit assigned to the Special Security Office system. United States Air Force Security Service The existence of AFSCC proved to (USAFSS). The new center assumed be an extremely contentious issue within the responsibility for the operational functions American intelligence community during the previously performed by the USAFSS 1950s. Both the Armed Forces Security Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations. One Agency and its successor the National month later on 1 August, the 6901 SCC Security Agency (NSA) wanted to centralize moved from Brooks AFB to nearby Kelly communications intelligence and AFB, San Antonio. cryptological functions under a single Meanwhile on 24 Jul 1953, the Air organizational umbrella. Consequently, the Force designated the Air Force Special leadership of those organizations strongly Communications Center (AFSCC) and opposed the Air Force’s plan to use AFSCC assigned it to USAFSS. About two weeks as an autonomous communications later on 8 August, the Air Force intelligence processing center. simultaneously discontinued the 6901 SCC, Nevertheless, USAFSS pressed forward organized AFSCC as a temporary with the designation and organization of provisional unit at Kelly AFB, and AFSCC over those objections. transferred the responsibilities of the 6901st Although it reluctantly agreed to to AFSCC. Discontinued provisional units cede certain analysis and reporting ceased to exist according to the responsibilities to AFSCC in 1954, NSA organizational rules in effect at the time. continued to view AFSCC as a “virtual Therefore, although AFSCC inherited the third-echelon competitor.” By the late functions of the 6901 SCC, AFSCC could 1950s, NSA leadership once again not place the 6901st into its lineage and challenged the independence of AFSCC, honors history. Thus, AFSCC is the earliest describing it as “an unwarranted duplicative lineal predecessor of the 688 CW. processing facility.” Those arguments From its beginning on 8 August gradually gained traction. By 1966, NSA 1953, AFSCC occupied the third floor of had quietly begun transferring functions building 2000, the USAFSS headquarters from AFSCC to Fort George G. Meade, building on Security Hill at Kelly AFB. The Maryland. The effort concluded on 30 June new center took on an expanded mission 2 DELIVERING ASYMMETRIC ADVANTAGE 1969 when AFSCC ceased processing senior battle commanders with analytical communications intelligence altogether. reports on the use of electronic warfare in Following the loss of its exercise and real-world scenarios. These communications intelligence mission, contributions eventually played a crucial AFSCC shifted its focus to analyzing role in the effective use of electronic warfare electronic warfare efforts using signals during Operation DESERT STORM in the intelligence inputs. AFSCC soon early 1990s. commenced production of electronic warfare evaluations known as COMFY COAT Air Force Information reports. The reports gradually expanded in scope as electronic warfare gained Warfare Center prominence within the Department of Defense and eventually included findings The success of Operation related to Army, Navy, and Marine Corps DESERT STORM electronic warfare capabilities. persuaded senior military leaders that electronic warfare capabilities could Air Force Electronic combine with the strategies Warfare Center and tactics of command-and-control warfare to enable operations across the entire To better reflect its information spectrum. The resulting critical role within emphasis on information warfare prompted electronic warfare, the the Air Force on 10 September 1993 to Air Force redesignated integrate AFEWC, technical expertise from AFSCC as the Air Force the Securities Directorate of the Air Force Electronic Warfare Cryptologic Support Center, and intelligence Center (AFEWC) on 1 July 1975 and skills from the Air Force Intelligence changed its status from a temporary Command (formerly Electronic Security provisional unit to an establishment. The Command) to create the Air Force Air Force assigned AFEWC to the Information Warfare Center (AFIWC). The Electronic Security Command (formerly new organization served as the Air Force’s USAFSS) where it focused on exploring center of excellence for information new and state-of-the-art electronic warfare superiority. In that capacity AFIWC technologies to counter the command-and- explored, applied, and migrated offensive control systems of potential adversaries. and defensive information warfare Additionally, AFEWC made significant capabilities for operations, acquisition, and strides in the analysis of defense suppression testing. AFIWC also provided advanced techniques for Air Force assets. By the information warfare training for the Air middle of the 1980s, AFEWC had emerged Force and continued its support of as the primary source of electronic warfare warfighters in contingencies and exercises and command, control, and communications through quantitative analysis, modeling and countermeasures analysis and advice for the simulation, and database and technical Air Force. AFEWC also employed cutting- expertise in communications and computer edge technologies, such as computers with security. high-speed microprocessors, to provide 3 DELIVERING ASYMMETRIC ADVANTAGE Air Force Information 688th Information Operations Center Operations Wing The inclusion of On 18 August 2009, the cyberspace as a separate Air Force reassigned warfighting domain in the AFIOC to the Air Force Air Force mission Space Command’s statement unveiled on 7 (AFSPC) new 24th Air December 2005 Force and redesignated it prompted military leaders to rethink and as the 688th Information Operations Wing broaden the information warfare concept, (688 IOW). The new wing boasted two resulting in a new emphasis on information groups, the 38th Cyberspace Engineering operations. This emphasis translated into Group and the 318th Information Operations yet another organizational change on Group, creating a multi-disciplined 1 October 2006 when the Air Force organization capable of delivering proven redesignated AFIWC as the Air Force information operations and engineering Information Operations Center (AFIOC). installation capabilities integrated across the AFIOC focused on both the innovation and air, space, and cyberspace domains in integration of information operations and support of the joint warfighting team. maintained responsibility for creating information operations capabilities to meet 688th Cyberspace requirements for missions in air, space, and cyberspace. Additionally, AFIOC personnel Wing performed information operations analysis for combat operations, targeting, and On 13 September 2013, acquisition programs. In addition to AFSPC redesignated the exploring, demonstrating, and exercising 688 IOW as the 688th information operations capabilities, AFIOC Cyberspace Wing—the first tested weapons, developed tactics, trained Air Force wing designated forces, and assessed information operations as a cyberspace wing. With vulnerabilities of units and systems for both the activation on 1 December 2015 of the offensive and defensive counter-information 688th Cyberspace Operations Group at Scott missions. In 2007, the Air Force reassigned AFB, Illinois and the follow-on activation of AFIOC from the Air Intelligence Agency its full complement of five cyberspace (formerly the Air Force Intelligence operations squadrons, the wing stood at Command) to the Air Combat Command three groups, fifteen squadrons, four (ACC) as part of the 8th Air Force. detachments, and one operating location. Its 4 DELIVERING ASYMMETRIC ADVANTAGE personnel operated out of seven locations George G. Meade, Maryland. With its new across the continental United States: Joint designation came a new mission: Base San Antonio–Lackland, Texas; Tinker “To deliver Asymmetric Advantage; to AFB, Oklahoma; Scott AFB, Illinois; achieve air, space, and cyberspace Keesler AFB, Mississippi; Hurlburt Field, superiority in the most efficient and Florida; Nellis AFB, Nevada; and Fort innovative way possible.” 5 DELIVERING ASYMMETRIC ADVANTAGE CHRONOLOGY 1950s communications security monitoring mission to AFSCC. 1 July 1953: The Department of the Air Force designated and organized the 6901st Special Communications Center (6901 SCC) as a temporary provisional unit under the United States Air Force Security Service (USAFSS) and stationed it at Brooks Air Force Base (AFB), San Antonio,