Summary

Licensing

This image shows a flag, a coat of arms, a seal or some other official insignia produced by the United States Army Institute of Heraldry. It is in the public domain but its use is restricted by Title 18, United States Code, Section 704 [1] and the Code of Federal Regulations (32 CFR, Part 507) [2], [3]. Permission to use these images in the USA for most commercial purposes must be obtained from The Institute of Heraldry prior to their use. Deutsch ∙ English ∙ فارسی ∙ 日本語 ∙ русский ∙ +/−

This image shows a flag, a coat of arms, a seal or some other official insignia. The use of such symbols is restricted in many countries. These restrictions are independent of the copyright status.

History and significance

The original shield was approved for the 67th Reconnaissance Wing on March 20, 1952.

On the original emblem, the red lightning bolt was emblematic of the strength, speed, and power necessary to achieve the mission of tactical reconnaissance. The sun and blue sky represented the importance of withstanding danger and destruction to accomplish the mission and to bring light, protection, and honor. The blue sky and stars were where all aerial activities are carried to a successful completion.

During the time from 1993 to 2006 as an intelligence information operations wing, the red lightning bolt represented speed, strength, and power. The dark blue background symbolized the shroud of secrecy and the darkness that surrounds an adversary. The stars alluded to the four intelligence disciplines of signals intelligence, human intelligence, imagery intelligence, and measurement and signatures intelligence that penetrate the darkness. The sun in the light blue background depicted the illumination of knowledge.

Currently, the stars allude to the wing's mission of network attack, exploitation, defense, and the training of cyberspace warriors to defeat any adversary. The dark blue background symbolizes the shroud of secrecy that surrounds a cyberspace adversary. The red lightning bolt represents the applied speed, strength, power, and precision of Air Force network warfare. The sun in the light blue background depicts our mission to operate the Air Force network through the ground, air, and space domains to ensure the right information at the right place at the right time. The wing's warriors deny the advisory the use of cyberspace while maximizing our own use of the net.

The wing's motto is "Lux Ex Tenebris," Latin for light from darkness. [4]