United States Air Force, Organization Actions Affecting Certain Air Force Reserve Command Units , January 31 2013, Unclassified.
National Security Archive
A 2013 Air Force order created a new cyber operations group while retiring Cold‑War communications flights, marking the Reserve’s shift into offensive cyberspace warfare.
Source: United States Air Force, Organization Actions Affecting Certain Air Force Reserve Command Units , January 31 2013, Unclassified. Date: Jan 31, 2013 Archive: FOIA Release
Editorial Analysis
Original analysis by the DriftSeas editorial desk. The complete primary-source document, transcribed from the National Security Archive scan, appears in full below.
A New Cyber Force Structure, 2013
The January 31 2013 memorandum from the Department of the Air Force marks a quiet but consequential re‑shaping of the Air Force Reserve’s role in the emerging domain of cyberspace. Issued under the authority of the Secretary of the Air Force, the order creates a Headquarters 960th Cyberspace Operations Group and four subordinate squadrons and flights, then simultaneously retires four legacy communications and information‑operations units. The timing is significant: 2013 was the first year the Air Force formally elevated “cyberspace” to a warfighting function, and the Air Force Space Command (AFSPC) was still the gaining command for most of the new units. By assigning the 860th and 960th Network Operations Squadrons and the associated Network Warfare Flights to AFSPC, the service signaled that cyber operations were to be managed alongside space‑based capabilities, reflecting the Pentagon’s view that the two realms are strategically intertwined.
From Legacy Communications to Offensive Cyber
The units slated for inactivation—310th and 622d Communications Flights, 610th and 710th Information Operations Flights—originated in the Cold‑War era, when the Air Force’s reserve component primarily supported voice and data links for aircraft and ground stations. Their deactivation, coupled with the constitution of the 960th Cyberspace Operations Group, illustrates a doctrinal shift from traditional communications support to a proactive, network‑centric warfighting posture. The order’s language about “relieving” units from Reserve assignment upon mobilization and reassigning them to the gaining command underscores that these forces are intended to plug directly into active‑duty cyber missions, rather than serve as a strategic reserve.
Who Was Steering the Change?
The memorandum bears the signature of Lt Col Paul C. Charron, Acting Chief of the Organization Division within the Directorate of Manpower, Organization & Resources. While a mid‑level officer, Charron’s role placed him at the nexus of force‑structure planning and manpower allocation. His signature indicates that the re‑designations were not a top‑down, secretive directive but a bureaucratic step that followed earlier policy decisions by senior leadership—most notably the 2011 establishment of the Air Force Cyber Command (later merged into AFSPC). The document’s distribution list—AFRC/CC and AFSPC/CC—shows that both the Reserve and the gaining command were required to coordinate the transition, reflecting an integrated approach to cyber force development.
Reading Between the Lines
The memo’s explicit reference to Air Force Instructions (AFI 38‑101, 84‑105, 10‑101) reveals the procedural rigor behind the change: orders, organizational configuration, and mission directives had to be drafted in accordance with existing regulations. This suggests that the Air Force was embedding cyber units within the same legal and administrative framework as conventional wings, avoiding the creation of a parallel bureaucracy. Moreover, the note that “HQ US Air Force will accomplish any future redesignations or inactivations” hints at an expectation that the cyber force structure would remain fluid, adapting to evolving threats and technological advances.
Legacy and Relevance
The 2013 reorganization laid groundwork for today’s Air Force Reserve cyber components, now part of the Air Force Reserve’s 960th Cyberspace Operations Group and the 960th Cyber Operations Squadron, which continue to support both defensive and offensive missions. The decision to house these units under AFSPC prefigured the 2018 establishment of the U.S. Space Force, after which many cyber assets migrated to the newly formed Air Force Reserve Cyber Operations Wing. Understanding this 2013 order helps explain why reserve cyber forces have a dual identity—both as a reserve component and as an integral part of the nation’s expeditionary cyber capabilities. The document is a concrete example of how bureaucratic actions translate strategic concepts—like “cyber as a warfighting domain”—into organizational reality, a process that remains central to U.S. defense planning.
DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE HEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES AIR FORCE WASHINGTON, DC
31 January 2013
DAF/A1M 394t
SUBJECT: Organization Actions Affecting Certain Air Force Reserve Command Units
TO: AFRC/CC AFSPC/CC
By order of the Secretary of the Air Force:
a. The following units are assigned to Air Force Reserve Command for activation on or about the dates shown. The gaining commands are as indicated.
| Unit | Date | Gaining Command |
|---|---|---|
| HQ 960th Cyberspace Operations Group | 2 March 2013 | Air Force Reserve Command |
| 860th Network Operations Squadron | 2 March 2013 | Air Force Space Command |
| 960th Network Operations Squadron | 2 March 2013 | Air Force Space Command |
| 860th Network Warfare Flight | 2 March 2013 | Air Force Space Command |
| 960th Network Warfare Flight | 2 March 2013 | Air Force Space Command |
(1) The following units are constituted effective the date of this letter. They are assigned for activation above.
HQ 960<sup>th</sup> Cyberspace Operations Group
860<sup>th</sup> Network Operations Squadron
960<sup>th</sup> Network Operations Squadron
860<sup>th</sup> Network Warfare Flight
960<sup>th</sup> Network Warfare Flight
b. The following units will be inactivated on or about the dates shown. Concurrently, unit designations revert to the control of the Department of the Air Force. Upon inactivation,
2
consult AFI 84-105 for disposition of flags and other historic artifacts.
Unit Inactivating Date
310th Communications Flight 2 March 2013 622d Communications Flight 2 March 2013 610th Information Operations Flight 2 March 2013 710th Information Operations Flight 2 March 2013
Take the following actions regarding the above units.
a. Issue orders per AFI 38-101, Air Force Organization.
b. Configure the organization per AFI 38-101.
c. Prepare or revise mission directives per AFI 10-101, Format and Content of Mission Directives.
HQ US Air Force will accomplish any future redesignations or inactivations.
The gaining commands for the above units are designated as indicated. Upon mobilization or as otherwise ordered to active duty by competent authority, these units together with all personnel and equipment are relieved from assignment to the Air Force Reserve Command and are assigned to the gaining commands. Upon demobilization, these units revert to their specific Air Force Reserve Command assignment.
Report completed action using RCS: HAF-HO(M)7401, Air Force Organization Status Change Report, and Status of Resources and Training System (SORTS) per the current instructions.
FOR THE CHIEF OF STAFF
Paul C. Charron PAUL C. CHARRON, Lt Col, USAF Acting Chief, Organization Division Directorate of Manpower, Organization & Resources
NATIONAL SECURITY ARCHIVE
National Security Archive, Suite 701, Gelman Library, The George Washington University, 2130 H Street, NW, Washington, D.C., 20037, Phone: 202/994-7000, Fax: 202/994-7005, nsarchiv@gwu.edu