Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 News
    
        Photos

    Week in Photos

    Air Force TV

    Commentaries

    Features

    Art

    About Us
    
        Air Force Senior Leaders
    
        SECAF

    CSAF

    CMSAF

    Biographies

    Fact Sheets

    SECAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library
    
        CSAF Leadership Library 2022

    CSAF Leadership Library 2021

    CSAF Reading List Pre-2020 Archive
    
        2018 CSAF Reading List

    2017 CSAF Reading List

    2016 CSAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library 2023

    CMSAF Leadership Library

    50 Years of the CMSAF

    Adjunct Professors

    Air Force Strategic Documents

    Arctic Strategy

    Empowered Airmen

    State Licensure Portability

    Careers

    AF Federal Advisory Committees

    AF 75th Anniversary

    Policy Updates

    AF Content Management

    Contact Us

    AF Sites
    
        Site RegistrationU.S. Air Force LogoAir Force

        Policy UpdatesNewsroomReoptimizationBIOGRAPHIESAF Senior Leaders      Reserve Component launches direct commission program; constructive service credit for cyberspace warfare operations career fieldPublished Nov. 15, 2023
                    
                    
                    Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs
            **ARLINGTON, Va. (AFNS) --**The Department of the Air Force has announced that the **Air Reserve** component has initiated a **direct commission and constructive service credit program memo** for people interested in serving in the cyber security and cyberspace warfare operations career fields.**Brig. Gen. Terrence Adams**, deputy principal cyber advisor to the **Secretary of Defense** and senior military advisor for Cyber Policy, made the announcement on behalf of the Air Force at the Aspen Institute Cyber Summit in New York.
“As our nation faces tough challenges in the cyberspace warfighting domain, the Air Force Reserve needs the best talent America has to offer,” Adams said. “The Cyber Direct Commission program is designed to attract highly skilled cyber professionals from industry and enlisted career fields who want to serve their nation in a part time capacity.”
Enlisted personnel and civilians qualified to serve as Air Force Warfighter Communications Operators (17D) and Cyberspace Effects Operators (17S) can earn a direct commission as an Air Force officer. Also eligible are personnel who are qualified to earn a cyberspace engineer/agile software developer – Cyberspace Engineering “Z” prefix as outlined in the Air Force **Officer Classification Directory**. 
“This program will allow the service to access cutting edge talent and leverage private sector skills to make us more competitive in the changing world environment,” said **Alex Wagner**, assistance secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve Affairs.
A review board will determine if candidates are eligible for constructive service credit for prior commissioned service, advanced education, and special training or experience.
Constructive service credit is used to determine initial grade, rank and service for promotion eligibility and is usually granted in year-long increments.
Applicants must meet the following criteria: 
·   Be eligible for a commission in the Air Force, including physical standards for entrance
·   Possess or be eligible for a top secret/sensitive compartmented information security clearance
·   Have a quantifiable record of leadership, management or supervisory experience in academia, civilian and/or military organizations (preferred)
·   Have qualifying advanced education, specialized training and/or experience in cyber-related fields as outlined in the memo
Candidates will incur an initial four-year Selective Reserve obligation from the date of appointment or commission and an additional four-year Inactive Ready Reserve obligation. They will also be required to complete the **U.S. Air Force Officer Training School** program. Their monthly reserve obligation will depend on the needs of their units, training requirements and mission requirements.
This program follows a regular Air Force pilot program for direct commissioning into cyber career fields and constructive service credit launched in 2020. 
This is the first time the reserve component has opened direct commissions to career fields other than lawyers, chaplains and medical personnel. The service may consider expanding the direct commission program to other reserve and Guard career fields in the future.
Career fields that may be considered are operations analyst, intelligence, security forces, chemist, nuclear chemist, physicists, nuclear physicists, developmental engineer and acquisition manager.LR 



USAF 



AF 



Air Force 



AFRC 



reserves 



direct commission program 



commissioning 



OTS 



Cyberspace warfare 



constructive service credit program 



Brigadier General Terrence Adams 



SecDEF 



Air Force Officer Classification Directory 



operations analyst 



intelligence 



security forces 



chemist/nuclear chemist 



physicists/nuclear physicist 



developmental engineer 



acquisition manager Featured News
        Senior Leader Priorities
                DAF leaders talk budget, reoptimizing the force
                    
                    DAF leaders speak at National Character and Leadership Symposium
                    
                    DAF members recognized during BEYA STEM awards
                    
                    DAF senior enlisted advisors discuss Airmen, Guardians in the fight
                    
                    SecAF Kendall AFA Warfare Symposium Q&A: Reoptimizing for Great Power CompetitionInnovation
                AFWERX director discusses role of tech startups, quick innovation in Great Power Competition
                    
                    DAF delivers lethality at the speed of data during Project Convergence Capstone 4
                    
                    DAF welcomes industry partners to HQ development program
                    
                    DAF announces Spark Tank 2024 finalists
                    
                    Chief Digital, Artificial Intelligence Office to host hackathon in HawaiiMAJCOM News
                Safety enterprise announces new mission, vision, goals in 2024 strategic plan
                    
                    Air Combat Command welcomes new commander
                    
                    USAFE-AFAFRICA commander discusses Integrated Air, Missile Defense during Munich Security Conference
                    
                    Flosi to AFMC family: Embrace change, make every day count
                    
                    AMC rises to increasing global tension
 Quick Links
AccessibilityContact UsEqual OpportunityFOIA | Privacy | Section 508Information QualityInspector GeneralJAG Court-Martial DocketLink DisclaimerNo FEAR ActOpen GovernmentOSI Tip LinePlain LanguageQuestionsResilienceRSSSite MapVeterans Crisis LineCareers
Join the Air ForceAir Force BenefitsAir Force CareersAir Force ReserveAir National GuardCivilian ServiceConnect
            Get Social with Us
            
            Official United States Air Force Website
    Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil