Design the Air Force's Cyberwarrior Badge (Because the Real One Sucks)

There's good news and bad news, geeks. The good is that you've got a military badge to wear -- just like the jocks who fly jets or jump out of planes. The bad is that badge is kind of lame. So we're calling on Danger Room's readers for an immediate redesign of the Air Force's "Cyberspace Badge."

Now, according to an Air Force press release, the design of this new badge "holds significant meaning."

*The lightning bolt wings signify the cyberspace domain while the globe signifies the projection of cyber power world-wide. The globe, combined with lightning bolt wings, signifies the Air Force's common communications heritage. The bolted wings, centered on the globe, are a design element from the Air Force Seal signifying the striking power through air, space and cyberspace. The orbits signify the space dimension of the cyberspace domain. *

...and the metal represents the pole in the rear of whoever came up with this cockamamie explanation. Seriously, I thought the dumb old days of network defense chest puffery and bully talk had wound down. Apparently not. There's a cyberwar going on; haven't you heard, son?

We all know that lightning bolts and orbiting marbles don't really capture the majesty that is the military sysadmin's mission. The Air Force's cadre of cyberwarriors deserve something more appropriately symbolic. Y'know, something like:

"The gilded coffee cup represents the caffeine-fueled bravery. The twin battle-axes represent his 60th level Paladin on World of Warcraft. The birds represent each Colonel taught how to post an update to Facebook..."

You get the idea. Send us your designs for the new badge. We'll post the best. And then everyone can vote on the most awesomest cyberspace badge of all. Who knows, maybe we'll manage to convince the Air Force to change its mind. After all, we already talked 'em out of creating a Cyber Command. Maybe the badge is the next to go.

[Photo: Air Force]