Optimizing Information Warfare and Cyber Force Structures

How can the USAF optimize its current Cyber Force Structure? Furthermore, how should the Air Force and Department of Defense organize themselves to optimize the development of Information Warfare capabilities?

• Amico, Maj. Brandon J., "Words as Weapons: Counterintelligence-Driven Rhetoric in US Defense Strategy," SAASS thesis, 2024, 73 pgs. 
• Baier, Capt. Katelynne, "Information Rising (Part I): Characterizing Threats in the Information Environment" AUAR SOS, 2020, 15 pgs.
• Bliss, Maj. Miles A., "Flash--Deploying Information Warfare Countermeasures," AFGC thesis, 2025.
  • Bliss answers this by highlighting that the U.S. currently suffers from a strategic deficit due to its decentralized coordination structure and inconsistent institutional commitment, exemplified by the dismantling of the State Department’s Global Engagement Center. To optimize U.S. capabilities, he recommends shifting to a unified, whole-of-government approach by reviving a structure similar to the Cold War-era Active Measures Working Group, which successfully integrated intelligence and strategic messaging across disparate agencies with clear authority and sustained funding. Furthermore, Bliss advises the DoD to institutionalize collaboration with allied nations—leveraging entities like NATO’s Strategic Communication Center of Excellence and adopting public resilience and media literacy programs seen in France and Romania—to share intelligence, tactics, and proactively build societal resistance against malign influence.
• Fensterseifer, Lt. Col. Matthias, "Influencing the Organizational Culture of the German Cyber and Information Domain Service: A Social Systems View," SAASS Thesis, 2022, 141 pgs. 
• Golosov, Maj. Zack, "US Military Cyber Operations: Forced to Do more with Less," ACSC course paper (Cyber Concentration), 2024, 11 pgs.  
• Hong, Capt. Thomas Jun, "Information Warfare Rising (Part II): Conceptualizing Information Firepower" AUAR SOS, 2020, 19 pgs.
• Hottel, Capt. Reid, "Information Warfare Rising (Part III): Building and Information Warfare Culture, Accelerating Change Through Training" AUAR SOS, 2020, 28 pgs.
• Janowiak, David L., "Projecting Power Bit by Bit: Pre-Conflict Domain Shaping in Cyberspace," SAASS thesis, 2022, 88 pgs. 
• Kemp, Robin J., "Intelligence for the People, by the People: Public Intelligence Agencies and their Influence on National Security Strategy," SAASS thesis, 2022, 113 pgs. 
• Keohane, Maj. Christopher M., "Arguing with the Dragon: Taiwan's Counter Disinformation Campaigns and Deterring Conflict," AFGC thesis, 2025, 54 pgs. 
  • Keohane answers these topics by proposing a specific organizational integration to shape the information environment: Military Public Affairs (PA) and MISO, which traditionally operate separately, must collaborate openly in unclassified operations to combat disinformation. He details how PA can use its core functions—media engagement, news release management, crisis communication, and continuous monitoring—to rapidly address falsehoods during military exercises and crises. By pairing PA’s unclassified media reach with MISO’s behavioral analysis, the Joint Force can replicate Taiwan's strategy of transparent, real-time crisis communication that bolsters allied governments and neutralizes adversary messaging.
• Miccio, Ryan, "Changing the Dynamic: A Mindset of Leading with Information," SOS AUAR paper, 2020, 5 pgs.  
• O'Donnell, Capt. Brian, "BBP on Offensive Unclassified Information Warfare," SOS AUAR, 2024, 2 pgs. 
• Paap, Lt. Col. Grant M., "Old Rules and New Tricks: Adapting Covert Action to the Socially Networked Age," AWC Strategic Studies Paper, 2021, 39 pgs.
• Phillips, Lt. Col. William W., "Mightier than the Sword:  Posturing the Air Force for Operations in the Information Environment in Great Power Competition," AWC Strategic Studies Paper, 2020, 28 pgs. 
• Pienkowski, Capt. Jaclyn, "The Air Force's Competitive Shift in Information-Related Capabilities to Contend in the GPC," SOS AUAR, 2021, 18 pgs.
• Pomaro, LtCol Nicholas, "Operations in the Information Environment: Too Important to Leave to the Specialists," AWC Strategic Studies paper, 2020, 36 pgs. 
• Riggs, Capt. Casey, "Counter-Cyber Reflections for NATO," SOS AUAR, 2021, 5 pgs.
• Ross, Cameron L., "'Cyber Operations Take Flight': The Air Force's Development of Cyber Operations Conceptions," SAASS thesis,  2023, 112 pgs.
• Rutkowski, Capt. Jeffrey, "Does the US Cyber Command Need an Upgrade?" SOS AUAR, 2020, 8 pgs.
• Sheets, Col. John, "Culture of Engagement," AWC Strategic Studies paper, 2018, 37 pgs. 
• Skaggs, Lt. Col. Ryan, "The Department of Defense (DOD) Needs a New Approach for Information Warfare," Air Force Fellows, 2021, 3 pgs.
• Snyder, Philip B., "Information Warfare Support to Intelligence Operations," AWC Strategic Studies Paper, 2020, 25 pgs. 
• Weed, Major Christopher, "Deterrence and Coercion Strategies: Do They Work in Cyberspace?"  ACSC elective paper, 2022, 13 pgs. 
• Worrell, Lt. Col. Ryan, "EW and Cyber Convergence: Beyond Information Warfare," AF Fellows Paper, 2020, 31 pgs.
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• Ahn, Lt. Col. David, "United States Cyber Command is Not the Right Federal Agency to Combat Cyber Criminals," AWC PSP, 2022, 32 pgs.
   
• Al-Riyami, Maj. Faisal, et al, "'You Have a Problem with Authority, Mr. Anderson': Or, Analyzing the Command of Cyberspace in Relation to Geographic Command Structures," ACSC Air Power paper, 2022, 14 pgs. 
   
• Ames, Lt. Col. Jacob C., "Ready for What?  Considerations for Evolving Cyber Forces," AWC Strategic Studies Paper, 2025, 30 pgs.  
• Brown, Maj. Christopher S., "A Case for the Creation of the United States Department of Cybersecurity," Air Force Fellows paper, 2021, 32 pgs. 
   
• Groves, Trevor R., "Pivoting to Weapons System Cyber Defense," SOS AUAR 2021, 7 pgs.
   
• Higgins, Brian, "High Reliability Organizations and Cyber Resiliency," SAASS Thesis, 2021, 84 pgs.
   
• Kaloostian, Col. Michael R., "DoD's Cyber Workforce: Strength through Retention and Volunteerism," AWC Strategic Studies Paper, 2020, 21 pgs. 
• Kim, Lt. Col. Daniel, "Building Partner Capacity in Cyberspace to Enhance Deterrence," SAASS Thesis, 2021, 68 pgs.
   
• Laurenceau, LTC Jean-Paul, "The National Guard Answers the Call for Cybersecurity at the State and Local Level," AWC PSP, 2021, 25 pgs. 
   
• Serrano, Katie E., "Cybersecurity—Is It Time for a Reset?"  AWC Strategic Studies Paper, 2020, 32 pgs.