Integration of Information Operations Theory Into the Corporate Air Force

The purpose of this research was to determine the desired end-state for company grade officers in terms of an information operations education. Specifically, an examination of company grade officer curricula from the pre-commissioning sources to the Squadron Officer College was performed. This assessment was then compared to the Air Force Institute of technology Cyber Competency Areas Framework. Any areas that were missing from the current company grade officer curricula were identified and a proposed implementation plan was presented to correct these deficiencies. To aid in developing an implementation plan, redundancies between the two Squadron Officer College courses were identified. Furthermore, the Air Force process for determining subject content for Air Force professional military education was identified, as were potential ways to influence professional military education curricula. This research resulted in several recommendations designed to bridge the gap between the current company grade officer curricula and the proposed company grade officer curricula, as determined by the Air Force Institute of Technology Cyber Competency Areas Framework.