Established 4 September 2014 by the Secretary of the Air Force,[2] On 16 November 2020, the Air Force Special Duty Ribbon was renamed to the Developmental Special Duty Ribbon by the Secretary of the Air Force.

The following are qualifying special duty assignments:[2] The Developmental Special Duty Ribbon is a symmetrically striped ribbon 1+3⁄8 inches (35 mm) wide.

At the outside edges of the ribbon are stripes of graphite blue and silver gray both 1⁄16 inch (1.6 mm) wide.

In the center of the ribbon is a white stripe 1⁄2 inch (13 mm) wide bisected by an ultramarine blue stripe 1⁄8 inch (3.2 mm) wide.

[4] Subsequent awards of the Developmental Special Duty Ribbon are denoted by oak leaf clusters.