The Air Force established the Information Operations Utilization Field (14FX) and the Information Operations Officer Classification on 31 October 2016. Through the use Military Information Support Operations (MISO), Military Deception (MILDEC), and Operations Security,” the new field “encompasses the integrated employment of information-related capabilities (IRCs) in concert with other lines of operation to influence, disrupt, corrupt, or usurp the decision-making process of adversaries and potential adversaries while protecting our own.”
For the new Information Operations Occupational Badge, the Air Force clearly drew inspiration from the Army’s Psychological Operations (PSYOPS) branch insignia. The focal point of the badge is a chess knight (which The Institute of Heraldry says has long been associated with special operations) superimposed on a globe on a shield resting on three trisecting lightning bolts; both the chess knight and lightning bolt are found on the Army PSYOPS insignia.
The new occupational badge is currently issued in three levels—Basic (AFSC 14F1, Entry), Senior (14F3), and Master (14F4)—and is also available in a miniature version.