US netwar-force Cyber Wings badge unveiled

The US Air Force - perhaps the keenest of America's armed forces to get stuck into network warfare - has unveiled the cyber "wings" which will be worn on the chests of its digital warriors. The US Air Force Cyberspace Badge. Credit: USAF Cyber wings upon their chests/These are men**, our geekiest The new "Cyberspace Badge …

[Anonymous Coward]

Netscape Wold Wide Wait Animation

..looked somehow like that badge.

[Stone Fox]

"24th Air Force, the new operational cyber organisation"

Soon to be known as the worlds most tempting target for malicious hackers, script kiddies and anyone test-firing zombie based ddos software.

[I didn't do IT.]

Brilliant!

You don't think they are hyping up this command as a honey pot and false target with all of this so they collect the newest data first, do you?

[Stone Fox]

possibly

but I think that's giving them a little too much credit. Remember, "Military Intelligence" is one of the most famous oxymorons in history!

[KjetilS]

One year experience..

"Alternatively any officer who has done the X-course and has "at least one year of cyberspace experience" since 2006 can badge up too."

I guess that means anyone who has heard about the intarweb and is capable of finding the blue 'E' on the desktop (while using a "cheat sheet" ofcourse).

[Greg J Preece]

Kobayashi Maru?

If you hack the course so you always win, do you get extra credit?

[Dave Murray]

Saviour of the universe

Looks like something out of Flash Gordon to me. Very 50s SF retro, I like it.

[TeeCee]

Re: Flash Gordon

I was going to say Dan Dare myself, but I reckon you've nailed it there.

I like it too. Timeless, in a sort of retro-futuristic way. Dunno what Wired are on, must be more than a bit of petty jealousy at work I guess.

[LeBeourfCurtaine]

Gerry Anderson would be proud

Captain Scarlett himself might covet such a majestic chest ornament...

[Eddy Ito]

Huh?

"Apparently this symbolises "the projection of cyber power world-wide", "the space dimension of the cyberspace domain" and "striking power through air, space and cyberspace"."

cyber power? space dimension of cyberspace? Me thinks someone has been digging too deep for meaning in the hole of their morning doughnut. Besides, they left out the cyber and borg dimensions of cyberspace. Perhaps they could send enough striking power through cyberspace that would overwhelm the surge protector on the other end.

[Anonymous Coward]

Nice caption

Maybe I'm showing my age by getting, and enjoying, your play on the lyrics from the Ballad of the Green Beret.

[Anonymous Coward]

It'll go nicely

with my brown wings badge.

Chocks away and tally ho!

[Anonymous Coward]

re: brown

Looks more like the standard issue silver wings?

[Alhazared]

Does Gary McKinnon get one?

...for pointing out all those security flaws.

Wonder when they will be available in the militaria section of fleabay.

[Anonymous Coward]

t3h nµ m!lt@ry l33t

won't they have fun in basic training?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Basic Training

As this is for officers only (enlisted will have a qualification badge, not "wings", as only OFFICERS are allowed to do the "nifty" jobs...), their basic training occurs during college (ROTC) mostly, so they will get 4 - 8 years (with post grad degree) to airman up.

Those poor souls that went from enlisted through OCS (Officer Candidate School) to become officers are usually the ones that get things done... so they will be too busy (doing real jobs) to get the required "experience".

Here's a beer to hoping for someone with a brain and notion of what they are doing gets in there! Perhaps, as its a "distance learning" course... For the "regular" officers, most of college would be spent with this sublime beverage anyways... :)

[Anonymous Coward]

Cyberspace?

The 1990's are calling and they want their marketing team back.

[Rob Daglish]

WANT!

WANT! If nothing else, it'll be a talking point when I roll up on site somewhere...

[Ed Blackshaw]

Oh Dear

Has somebody at USAF been reading William Gibson books again?

[amanfromMars 1]

Cyber Command Space ...... a Busy Controlled Place Welcomes US Air Force Virgins

Do they have any Flying Master Pilots for its Desks and Disc Operating Systems and Windows Components and SCADA Systems? Or is that Store Cupboard Bare and Looted?

[Walking Turtle]

Likely bare and looted...

Per recent reportage by the intrepid and ever-impeccable C. Story FRSA.

Ref: http://www.worldreports.org/news report re 'Endemic Corruption in Brussels and Halliburton'... About halfway down the updated page. Apparently that cupboard was looted-out and sold-off by Halliburton et al per Cheney/Tenet Complicity/Directive. Typical porcine corporate/corpulent ham-fist greedy-guts oh nemmind; you of all the people I love for the way they win sure done gottit already for the longest time.

I for one am very unhappy about this turn of USAmerican events, hereby civilly and publicly expressing my extreme discontent with regard to the matter. Clearly the Balance of Power ain't 'zackly wot th' USAToday/NYTimes clique might have us all believe it is. (Go figger.)

[Trollslayer]

Starship Troopers anyone?

Come on, it's obvious.

[Anonymous Coward]

Zee pooblic iz intreegd yez?

Aim high - no, higher and to the left - wait for it - there, Pikachu, go!

Anonymous so in order to maintain a consistent veil of obscurity, on this kindly intended chuckle thing. Cheers!

[sT0rNG b4R3 duRiD]

They don't actually officially call it a "cyberspace badge", do they?

I mean, they don't really, do they?

[Anonymous Coward]

Wings are for flyers.

As a USAF vet I can tell you that if you wear wings and you don't fly, then you're a joke.

[Dave Bell]

Maybe they can't afford airplanes any more?

I've seen far worse examples of design, but I think you've hit on the big problem.

It wouldn't astonish me if the RAF has a few guys around who could dig out their "Elite" badge.

Heck, this guy has made his own.

http://www.ianlawrencemodels.com/elitebadge.html

[the bat]

Hmmmmmm.....

Does the post comes with Apple swag.. iPad ???

[Anonymous Coward]

We go forth...

...riding chunks of Kuang Grade Mark II into the Stratosphere...

[Anonymous Coward]

Great - The US Air Force is the 21st centruy horse mounted calvary

An anachronism if there ever was one.

[Paul Hovnanian]

Badge Design

For cyber warriors?

They should have worked Cheetos into the design somehow.

[Robert Heffernan]

No School like the Old School

That badge is so awesome in a retro, old school sci-fi way, and the shiny chrome really looks the part, all it needs to do is work in a little gold into the existing design and they are on a winner.

I hear the alternate competing design was a diorama of an emo script kiddy sitting in an internet cafe h4x0ring passwords to goth porn sites

[Nigee]

USAF specialty

fratricde and engaging wrong targets - be afraid, very afraid

[Anonymous Coward]

This is a joke, yes?

Even the yanks would think this is just a little silly.

Wouldn't they?

[Walking Turtle]

Actually...

.,,no.

It appears that the Powers That Be all had Foster Parents with Negative Taste in Design and Art to Begin With. But now these Nominal Adult Role Models are all dead. So who is now left on Earth to mentor these Lost Boys' Souls into Tasteful Decorum and Peaceable Ways?

Not the Sensible Enlisteds, let alone the Civilians of the Populace, one dares say.

Worse yet, those Elite Orficers tend to pack automatic sidearms... This bit of Bad Taste shall doubtless be Physically Enforced to the Ultimate Max if ever challenged/ridiculed on-base.

20-Question Cleckley-Hare Personality Inventory on them l33t MIL-spec W3b-kruezin dudez, anybody? (Do not be surprised at the results.)

Not even the Warlike Iroquois... The Apache are ROFLaughing their moccasins off... Epic Concept+Design Fail.

[Smallbrainfield]

It looks uncannily like

the logo from Street Fighter - The Movie.

[John Smith 19]

Guess GCHQ should watch out.

The USAF does have a bit of record on Blue on Blue incidents.

You saw it here first.

[Anonymous Coward]

General Bison

Very General Bison from the Streetfighter movie.

[Anonymous Coward]

Can I just point out

that it looks rubbish?

May I also suggest that the British one depict a fat man holding an 8" Floppy over his head with one hand and a can of brew with the other? (beer belly hanging out of course)

[Field Marshal Von Krakenfart]

Ha ha ha ha

Only the merkins could think this up, probably cost several million dollars a think tank from RAND.

Can't wait until they tart dishing out medals though, maybe they will replace the bronze star with the silicone star...

Mines the one with all the decorations on it

[The Fuzzy Wotnot]

FFS, Lord help us!

"Alternatively any officer who has done the X-course and has "at least one year of cyberspace experience" since 2006 can badge up too."

Was this written by an adult or an 8 year-old writing a essay project in English classes? Of course add to that the 8 year-old's mate designing the badges and uniforms and it's a project any junior school teacher would be proud to have coaxed from their charges!

[AlexKitteh]

Christ. >.>

Y'know, they could spend that sort of money on real units and equipment, instead of forming something silly that will be filled with officers.