JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. -- The Air Force is broadening its use of direct commissioning authority to access its most talented enlisted Airmen to be commissioned officers in the cyber operations career field.
In the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act, Congress established the authority to offer direct commissions to qualified cyber professionals, improving the ability of the services to directly recruit technical experts into their officer corps. The Department of the Air Force is employing this authority through the direct commission and constructive service credit program.
Partnering with Headquarters Air Force Manpower and Personnel and Air Force Recruiting Service, the Headquarters Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Cyber Effects Operations, Cyberspace Force Development Office established a competitive process to select Airmen with skills in cyberspace operations to receive direct commissions.
The Air Force cyberspace community recently used this competitive process to select two Airmen from a highly competitive group of candidates. The two Airmen are slated to attend the Officer Training School class starting in August 2020. Selection to the program is based on degrees in a preferred undergraduate technical specialty, certifications, experience, job performance and demonstrated leadership potential.
In July 2020, the Cyberspace Force Development Selection Board designated two Air Combat Command Airmen, Tech. Sgt. John Duncan, a network intelligence analyst from Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada; and Tech. Sgt. Nicholas Mikelis, a cyberspace warfare operator from Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, as 17S, Cyberspace Warfare Operations, Cyberspace Effects Operations Officers.
The Cyberspace Force Development office will hold at least three selection boards in the next calendar year. The next Cyberspace Direct Commissioning Board application window will begin in October 2020.The board will be open to all active duty Air Force enlisted career fields. Application submission material will be available in late September.