HighFront 1-1

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Published by a private frm in no way connected with

the U.S. Air Force, under exclusive written contract with
Air Force Space Command. This command funded Air
Force journal is an authorized publication for members
of the U.S. military services. Contents of High Frontier
are not necessarily the offcial views of, or endorsed by,
the U.S. Government, the Department of Defense, or the
Department of the Air Force.
Editorial content is edited, prepared, and provided by
the Public Affairs offce of Air Force Space Command. All
photographs are Air Force photographs unless otherwise
indicated.
The High Frontier, Air Force Space Commands
premier space professional journal, will be published
quarterly. The journal provides a scholarly forum for
professionals to exchange knowledge and ideas on
space related issues throughout the space community.
The journal focuses primarily on Air Force and DoD
space programs, however, The High Frontier staff
welcomes submissions from within the space community.
Comments, inquiries and article submissions should be
sent to AFSPC.PAI@peterson.af.mil. They can also be
mailed to:
AFSPC/PAI
150 Vandenberg St. Ste 1105
Peterson AFB, CO 80914
Telephone: (719) 554-3523
Fax: (719) 554-6013
For more information on space professional
development visit:
http://www.peterson.af.mil/spacepro
Headquarters
Air Force
Space Command
Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado
Commander
General Lance W. Lord
Director of Public Affairs
Col David Cannon
High Frontier Staff
Lt Col Marcella Adams
Maj Corvin Connolly
Capt Angie Blair
Capt Joe Macri
TSgt Gino Mattorano
SSgt Jennifer Thibault
Ms Nadine Connolly
COVER: Space professional development en-
compasses multi-service personnel including ac-
tive duty, Reservists, National Guard, Department
of Defense civilians and contractors. Cover design
by Janet Kays, 30th Communication Squadron,
Vandenberg Air Force Base.
Contents
Introduction
Welcome to the High Frontier
General Lance W. Lord . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Space Professional Development
NSS Plans Strategy for Development Space Professionals
Peter B. Teets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Developing Space Professionals
GeneralLanceW.Lord.........................................7
Developing Space Professionals Crucial to Critical Wartime Roles
Colonel James C. Hutto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Frequently Asked Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Developing Enlisted Space Professionals
Chief Master Sergeant Ronald G. Kriete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Total Force Space Development
Army Cadre Ensure Security of Vertical Battlefeld
Lieutenant General Larry J. Dodgen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Navy Develops Own Space Cadre
Captain Cheryl Spohnholtz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Marines Increase Effectiveness with Space-based Capabilities & Forces
Captain Ronaldo Racinez . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Space Focus
SOPSC Educates Space Warriors
Lieutenant Colonel Joseph E. Brouillard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Future Forecasts
SISP Provides Big Space Picture
Colonel Mike R. McPherson & Major Rhonda Leslie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
AF Space Meets the GIG
Colonel Mike R. McPherson & Major Rhonda Leslie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Space&MissileJournalVol.I,No.1 Summer2004
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Commander, Air Force Space Command
Growing the intellectual properties of our space
professionals will harvest more decisive, innovative and
integrated effects on the battlefeld.
-GeneralLanceW.Lord
Welcome to the premier publication for our space
professionals working in the Department of Defense and
throughout the governmental agencies responsible for
space and missiles. I am proud to introduce our frst space
professional journal for space professionals of all services.
This quarterly journal is designed to generate intellectual
debatethroughthoughtprovokingarticlesandessaysonthe
strategic,operationalandtacticalaspectsofspaceandmissile
power in the twenty-frst century. We
havecertainlycompletedthetransition
from a nation interested in space to a
countrywithnationalinterestsinspace.
Therefore, it is absolutely critical for
ournationsspaceprofessionalsfromall
organizationalbackgroundstofocuson
theintellectualpropertieswewillneed
nowandinthefuture.
Ataminimum,therearethreemain
components to any system requiring
human interaction: The system hard-
ware, the knowledgeable and skilled
operator, and the critical human and
technical infrastructure necessary to
supportboth.Ofcoursethisincludes
talentedpeoplerequiredintheacquisi-
tion, development and sustainment of
the hardware and infrastructure. We
need innovative scientific minds to
advanceourresearchanddevelopment
efforts.Throughoutthehistoryofna-
tionalsecurityspacewehavefocused
a signifcant amount of our attention on
thedevelopmentofhardware:satellites,
launch vehicles, missile development
andspaceoperationscenters,tonamea
few.Thededicationanddevotionofour
Space and Missile Pioneers provided
ournationwithcuttingedgeworld-class
spaceandmissilehardware.
Thisyearmarksthe50thanniversary
oftheUnitedStatesAirForcesinvolve-
mentinthedevelopmentofspaceand
missile systems. We have a proud heritage with signifcant
achievementsinthedevelopmentofinnovativehardwareand
materialsolutions.SinceBrigadierGeneralBennieSchrie-
versetuptheWesternDevelopmentDivisioninInglewood,
Californiain1954,Ibelievespacepowerhasmaturedquicker
andprovidedmoresubstantivecontributionstotheAmerican
way of fghting wars than the frst 50 years of airpower.
As a nation we stand tall on the shoulders of our Space
andMissilePioneers.Wehavecontinuedtoleadtheworld
inthedevelopmentandmanufacturingofspacecraft,launch
vehiclesandmissilecomponents.Thehardwareweusetoac-
cessandoperateinandon-orbitinspaceisquicklygrowingin
complexity,therefore,wemustensureourspaceprofessionals
developatafasterpacethanourtechnology.Weneedknowl-
edgeableandskilledoperators,scientists,engineersandpro-
grammanagerstoensureourgrowthin
the next ffty years and beyond. Space
ProfessionalDevelopmentisourplan
initiatedatAirForceSpaceCommand
with the ultimate goal of developing
ournationscadreofspaceoperators,
engineers, program managers and
scientists.
TheconceptofSpaceProfessional
Development goes well beyond the
United StatesAir Force. The Space
Cadre is composed of almost 10,000
engineers, space operators, program
managersandscientistsacrossallorga-
nizationaltiesinourgovernment.Most
oftheSpaceCadreisassignedtoAir
Force Space Command, the National
Reconnaissance Offce, our govern-
mentalresearchlabs,logisticscenters,
the Joint and other service staffs, as
well as unifed commands and other
government agencies. Space Profes-
sional Development is not limited to
the development of our offcer corps.
We need to develop offcers, enlisted
members and civilians, reserves and
national guardsmen in the operation,
development,sustainment,application
andintegrationofmilitaryspacesys-
tems.Justlikewehaveledtheworld
inthedevelopmentofspaceandmis-
silehardware,weneedtocontinueto
lead in the development of our space
professionals.
Welcome to High Frontier!
General Lance W. Lord(BS,OtterbeinCollege;
MS,UniversityofNorthDakota)istheAirForce
SpaceCommandcommander,PetersonAirForce
Base,Colo.GeneralLordisresponsibleforthe
development,acquisitionandoperationoftheAir
Force space and missile systems. The general
overseasaglobalnetworkofsatellitecommand
and control, communications, missile warning
and launch facilities, and ensures the combat
readinessofAmericasintercontinentalballistic
missileforce.Thegeneralhascommandedtwo
ICBMwingsandaspacewingaswellasserved
as the Commandant of Squadron Offcer School.
Priortohiscurrentposition,GeneralLordwas
theAssistantViceChiefofStaffforHeadquarters
U.S.AirForce.Thegeneralisalsoagraduateof
Squadron Offcer School, Air War College and a
distinguishedgraduatefromAirCommandand
StaffCollege.
Introduction
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The most senior leaders in the Department of Defense
agreewithourassertion.In2001,theCommissiontoAssess
UnitedStatesNationalSecuritySpaceManagementandOr-
ganizationwasestablishedtoassessspaceactivitiesinsupport
ofournationalsecurityinterests.TheHonorableDonaldH.
Rumsfeldledthisformalevaluation,commonlyreferredtoas
theSpaceCommission.TheSpaceCommissionconcluded
thatanewandcomprehensiveapproachtonationalsecurity
spacemanagementandorganizationwasrequiredtoprotect
the nations security interests in space. The Department of
Defense Directive 5101.2 designates the Air Force as the
executiveagentforspace.
Afterbeingdesignatedtheresponsibleagentfordeveloping
our nations space expertise by Dr. James Roche, Secretary
of the Air Force, we have moved out aggressively to defne
andimplementaSpaceProfessionalDevelopmentStrategyto
ensurethedevelopmentofournationsexpertiseinnational
securityspace.ThefoundationforSpaceProfessionaldevel-
opmentisaquestforcontinuallearning.Byprovidingedu-
cationalopportunitiesthroughoutonescareer,documenting
occupational experiences and carefully matching future as-
signments and opportunities we have a plan to develop the
expertiseacrossallareasofmilitaryspace.Formaleducational
classes, courses and certifcations will help us document levels
ofexpertise.
Where do ideas fourish? From reading and refecting.
-BenjaminFranklin
Wemusttakeadvantageofeveryopportunitytostimulate
ourthinkingonkeyissuesinthenationalsecurityofspace.
Documentingindividualexperiencesischallengingforus,but
weareofftoagreatstartwithover6,000individualrecords
reviewedtodate.Youlearnandgrowprofessionallyfromyour
experiencesandalife-longlearnerlooksforwaystocapturethe
lessonslearned.Thisjournalprovidesthecanvasforwhichwe
canpainttheintellectualpicturesoftomorrowsspacepower.I
askeachreadertousethisopportunitytogrowprofessionally
and,hopefully,increaseyourexperiencebase.
This journal is designed with our nations space profes-
sionalsinmindregardlessofyourorganizationalroots.Weare
notdevelopingspaceprofessionalsforanyoneorganization,
but rather for our nation. We plan to include articles from
our space and missile professionals on current issues with
livelyreadercommentary,interviewswithmilitaryleadersand
strategists,historicalessays,andbookreviews.High Frontier
willquicklybecomeaprimaryforumforcommunicatingthe
thoughtsofourmilitaryandcivilianprofessionalsonissues
affecting todays air and space power. You will fnd this reading
indispensabletoyourdevelopmentasaSpaceProfessional.
Reading furnishes the mind only with materials for
knowledge; it is thinking [that] makes what we read ours.
-JohnLocke
High Frontierwillbeacatalystfornewideasandinnovative
approachesinhelpingussolvecriticalspaceandmissileis-
sues. Our inaugural issue of High Frontier is dedicated to
ournumber onepriority Developing SpaceProfessionals.
Subsequent issues will highlight signifcant events throughout
the50-yearhistoryofspaceandmissiles.Weplantodiscuss
currentandprojectedspaceandmissilecapabilities,thereq-
uisiteneedtogainandmaintainspacesuperiority,thefuture
of strategic nuclear deterrence, the evolution of the Space
Cadre, and much more. We seek to signifcantly expand and
improveourknowledgebaseandunderstandingofspacesrole
inconductingandsupportingboththeaterandglobalmilitary
operations.Additionally,wewanttocontinuelearningabout
relevantair,landandseapowerlessonsandtheintegrationof
airandspaceoperationstobetterachievecombateffects.
We should strive to become experts in space while con-
tinuingtoadvanceourknowledgeofair,landandseapower.
Wearemoredependentuponspacetodaythaneverbeforein
thehistoryofourgreatnation.Spacecapabilitiesenablethe
American way of fghting and winning modern wars. Space
isanequalpartnerwithair,landandseaforces.Spacecapa-
bilities help provide timely and accurate combat effects for
ourcombatantcommanders.Ourrecentcampaignsuccesses
inOperationENDURINGFREEDOMandOperationIRAQI
FREEDOMarewellknownthroughouttheworld.Theinter-
nationalcommunitylookstotheUnitedStatesastheleader
inspaceoperations.
Each of us has an important role in leading our military
spacepersonnelintothenextgenerationofspacepower.Mod-
ernwarfareisdependentuponthecapabilitiesspacesystems
provide.Thisrelianceuponspacepowerwillcontinuetogrow.
Wemustensurethedevelopmentofourmindsandourcapa-
bilitiesisnotoutpacedbytheever-changingdynamicnature
ofmodernwar.Thisisanindividualresponsibility,butwe
mustcreateopportunitiesforlearningandintellectualgrowth.
Defeating tomorrows enemy starts today. We must ensure
wearereadyforthefuturebothmilitarilyandintellectually.
Finally, we must advance spacepower beyond our current
capabilitiesandcontributionstothewareffort.Spacepower
enhances our ability to fght an enemy today; ultimately, it
will provide full spectrum combat effects on the battlefelds
ofthefuture.Wewillcontinuetoworkonintegratingspace
capabilitiesandcombateffectsintotheappropriatecommand
andcontrolinfrastructure.WewillCommandtheFuture
toensureweadvancethetechnology,knowledgeandopera-
tional skills required for leading the worlds greatest space
andmissileforceintowhatpromisestobeaveryexcitingand
rewardingfuture.
Im extremely excited about this journal. I invite your
feedbackaswecontinuetomakethisthebestpossiblepubli-
cationwecan.Aswecontinuetobuildupontheintellectual
frameworkcreatedbythisjournal,allsystemsreportGo!
The main engines have fred. We have cleared the tower, so
sit back and enjoy our frst launch into the High Frontier.
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Peter B. Teets
Under Secretary of the Air Force
I
nthespacebusinessitiseasytofocusonhardwareand
technology.Afterallwhenwethinkofspace,images
ofrocketslaunchingfromthepadandsatellitesorbitingthe
Earthquicklyspringtomind.Becauseofthis,attimesthere
is a tendency to take our space professionalsthe crucial
elementofspacepowerforgranted.Wedothisatourperil.
Inmy40-plusyearsofspaceexperience,bothintheprivate
sectorandnowingovernment,Ihaveseentimeandagainthat
MissionSuccesscannotbeachievedwithoutdedicated,hard
working,talentedpeople.Anditisourpeople,forgedintoa
dedicatedspacecadre,whowillbecriticalinpreservingour
nationsdecisive,asymmetricadvantageinspace.
Developing and main-
tainingateamofspacepro-
fessionals remains one of
my highest National Secu-
ritySpace(NSS)priorities,
andwearemakingconsis-
tentandrapidimprovement
in this area. Adopting a
Total Force approach, we
will continue to develop
well-educated, motivated,
andcompetentpeoplewho
areskilledinthedemandsof
thespacemedium.Opera-
tionally,wemustgroompeoplewhounderstandthetactical
environmenttheysupport,aswellasthespace-uniquetactics,
techniques,andproceduresneeded.Technically,theymustbe
schooledintherequirements,capabilities,andcharacteristics
of vehicles that operate in space, the acquisition of space
systems,andspace-relatedresearch,science,andtechnology.
Theymustbeabletocreatenewsystems,technologies,train-
ingmethods,conceptsofoperationsand organizationsthat
willsustaintheU.S.astheworldleaderinspace.Thesenew
systems must achieve desirable effects at all levels of confict.
Furthermore,theymustensurethesesystemsareinteroperable
withandintegratedintoarchitecturesthatsupportthecreation
oflethalandnon-lethaleffects.
Thisisatallorderbecausewearenottalkingaboutcreating
a mere career feld or sculpting a feld of expertise. We are
talkingaboutforginganentirelynewbreedofwarriorwho
willultimatelytransformwarfareinthesamewayairpower
professionalsdidinthepastcentury.Thisisagreatresponsi-
bility of the most serious nature. As one of the frst steps in
fulflling this stewardship of the cadre of space professionals,
weareimplementingacomprehensiveDoD-levelframework
toguidetheeffortsofthemilitaryservices.Thisframework,
the Space Human Capital Resources Strategy, will ensure
the space cadres of all the Services possess the necessary
education,skillsandexperiencestomeetNationalSecurity
Spaceneeds.
The strategy has four main goals. The frst is to ensure the
Services develop the space professionals they need to fulfll
their service-unique requirements. Any strategy for devel-
opingspaceprofessionalsmustrecognizetheServiceshave
a wide variety of needs; one size truly does not ft all. When
onerecognizesspaceprofes-
sionalsintheNavywillhave
different skills, education
and training, and experi-
ences thanAir Force space
professionals, it becomes
apparentServicesandtheir
components must continue
togrowandmanageaunique
cadreofspaceprofessionals
to support their particular
missionrequirements.Itis
alsoimportanttorecognize
and accommodate the spe-
cifc needs of one of the major stakeholders in the National
Security Space community, the National Reconnaissance
Offce (NRO). The NRO is developing a comprehensive
workforce management strategy consistent with the goals
andobjectivesoftheDoDstrategy,andunderstandablyitis
tailoredtotheuniquerequirementsoftheNRO.
Thesecondgoalofthestrategyistosynchronizeandinte-
grate the space professional efforts of the NSS community
to increase effciency and reduce unnecessary redundancies.
WiththeestablishmentofaDoDExecutiveAgentforSpace
ithasbecomeclearsomelevelofoverarchingmanagement,
concerningourspaceprofessionals,isnecessarytoprovide
unity of effort and guide the space community in common
endeavors.Thisseniorlevelofmanagementisthecornerstone
of our synchronization and integration efforts. Specifcally,
seniorleadershipwillestablishandmaintainsoundpersonnel
NSS Plans Strategy for Developing
Space Professionals
Over the last two and one half years, Ive
had the great fortune to see this commu-
nity in action across the spectrumfrom
acquisition to operations. I am thoroughly
impressed by the outstanding leadership,
professionalism, dedication, and ability of
our men and women in the space arena.
Peter B. Teets
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policies.Aspartofthis,thecommunitymustcometogether
andestablishaDoD-leveleducationandtrainingframework
aswellasensuretheServicespoolthedataneededtomanage
ourDoD-wideteamofspaceprofessionals.Workingtogether
wecanidentifybestpracticesandapplythemthroughoutthe
community.
Thethirdgoalofthestrategyistocontinuetoimprovethe
integration of space capabilities into joint warfghting and
intelligenceoperations.Wearenotdevelopingspacepro-
fessionalstoworkinisolation.Ourspaceprofessionalsmust
besensitivetotheneedsofthemanyandvariedend-users
ofspacecapabilities,andbeabletoformulateandarticulate
newspacedoctrinetofullycontrolandexploitthemediumof
spaceinsupportofournationssecurityobjectives.Thedepth
and breadth of our space professionals education, training
andexperiencemustinstillanunderstandingofjointwarfare
andhowspacecapabilitiesarebestwovenintoouroperating
conceptsandwarplans.Additionally,wemustcontinueto
educateournon-spaceprofessionalsonwhatspacebringsto
the fght. In order to do this the strategy calls for increasing
spaceeducationinourserviceandjointprofessionalmilitary
education,andgraduatedegreeprograms.
Thelastgoalofthestrategyistoconsistentlyassignthe
best available space professionals to the most critical jobs
within the National Security Space community. There are
many models we are examining as we decide how best to
managepeopleattheDoD-level.Acquisitionprofessionals
have a three-tiered certifcation process that we may emulate.
Thereisalsothemethodologyfortheselectionandmanning
of joint-critical billets that may be adapted to our purpose.
Regardless, we understand putting the right person, in the
rightplaceattherighttimedoesnothappenbyaccident.It
requireseffortandforethought.Mygoalistocreateasystem
thatservesthespacecommunitywithoutbecomingonerous
orself-defeating.
Over the last two and one half years, Ive had the great
fortunetoseethiscommunityinactionacrossthespectrum
fromacquisitiontooperations.Iamthoroughlyimpressedby
theoutstandingleadership,professionalism,dedication,and
abilityofourmenandwomeninthespacearena.Weowe
themastrategy,theSpaceHumanCapitalResourcesStrategy,
whichwillfostertheirdevelopmentasspaceprofessionals.
Truly,peopleformthebackboneofourjointandinteragency
spacecapabilities,andwemustkeepthisbackbonestrongto
preservetheUnitedStatesdecisiveedgeinspace.
Peter B. Teets (BS, University of Colorado;
MS,UniversityofColorado;MS,Massachusetts
InstituteofTechnology)istheUnderSecretary
of theAir Force, Washington D.C., and is re-
sponsibleforallactionsoftheAirForceonbehalf
of the Secretary of theAir Force and is acting
secretaryinthesecretarysabsence.Designated
theDepartmentofDefenseExecutiveAgentfor
Space,Mr.Teetsdevelops,coordinatesandinte-
gratesplansandprogramsforspacesystemsand
theacquisitionofallDODspacemajordefense
acquisition programs. As the Director of the
National Reconnaissance Offce, Mr. Teets is
responsiblefortheacquisitionandoperationof
all U.S. space-based reconnaissance and intel-
ligencesystems.
Developing and maintaining
a team of space professionals
remains one of my highest
Nat i onal Secur i t y Space
(NSS) priorities, and we are
making consistent and rapid
improvement in this area.
Peter B. Teets
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Commander, Air Force Space Command
T
his year marks a milestone for the space and mis-
sile communityits the 50th anniversary of the
AirForcesWesternDevelopmentDivision.Fromtheearlydays,
GeneralBernardSchrieverandhisteamofscientists,engineers,
contractors, government offcials and Airmen developed missile
andsatellitesystemsthatledthenationintoouterspace,made
possiblearmscontrolagreementswiththeSovietUnionandulti-
matelyhelpedwintheColdWar.Theirinnovationandprescient
leadershipevolvedintothetransformationalmilitaryspaceand
missilecapabilitiestheAirForceoperatestoday.Althoughits
important to refect back on the contributions and lessons-learned
fromourspaceandmissileheritage,itsevenmoreessentialthat
wecastourattentiontowardthefuture.Inthatlight,werecently
unveiledanewSpaceProfessionalCadredevelopmentprogram,
which will beneft operators, maintainers and acquirers in all
ranksOffcer, Enlisted and Civilian. Without question, our
mostvitalresourceispeopleandthatswhyweareworkinghard
tocreateastrongprogramthatwillprofessionallydevelopour
nextgenerationofSpaceProfessionals.Toachievethisgoal,a
numberofcriticalinitiativesarenecessary.
Before we delve into specifcs, its helpful to understand why
thisnewprogramcameabout.TheSpaceProfessionalStrategy
was derived in part from the 2001 Space Commission Report,
whichstatedtheDepartmentofDefenseinnotoncoursetode-
velopthespacecadrethenationneeds.TheCommissionfurther
assertedthatspaceoperatorsandacquirersmustmasterhighly
complex technologyand operate some of the most complex
systemseverbuiltanddeployed.Theirdeclarationsarecertainly
holding true. Right now the acquisition pipeline is flling up with
increasingly complex space systems, such asTransformational
CommunicationandSpaceBasedRadar,whichwillprovideun-
precedentedcapabilitiesforournationsmilitary.Thesesystems
willblendspacewithair,landandseacomponentsinwaysnever
beforepossible.AhighlyskilledAirForceSpaceCadrewillbe
absolutelycriticalifweexpecttosuccessfullydesign,operateand
integrate these new capabilities into the high-tech battlefelds of
thefuture.
ImplementationoftheSpaceProfessionalStrategywillleadto
morepurposefulandeffectivecareerdevelopmentfortheentire
space community. This includes the Space Cadre (scientists,
engineers,programmanagersandoperatorswhodesign,acquire,
employ and integrate our space capabilities), as well as other
criticalroles,suchasintelligence,maintenance,communication,
weather and logistics. The plan calls for identifying every in-
dividual in theAir Forces Space Cadre, tracking their unique
spaceexperiences,developingnewandimprovedspaceedu-
cation and training courses, and instituting a robust certifcation
programtomonitorprogressandstatusofeachindividual.Other
SpaceProfessionals,whoarenotmembersoftheCadre,willalso
receivespecializededucationinspacemissionsandorganizations
to better prepare them for assignments in the national security
spacearena.
Mission success will undoubtedly hinge on providing the
strongestfoundationofeducationandtrainingpossible.Tothat
end, we already have a continuum of education initiatives in
progressthataredesignedtoenhanceunderstandingofthespace
mediumandtheimportanceofintegratingspacecapabilitiesinto
joint warfghting. But we need to do more, especially with the
civiliansector.MyvisionisforthecreationofaNationalSe-
curitySpaceInstitutecenteredinColoradoSpringsandenabled
byacollaborativeeffortbetweenservices,agencies,andlocaland
distantuniversities.IwantthisNationalSpaceUniversitytobethe
gotoplaceforspaceeducation.Althoughtherewillbemany
hurdlesahead,togetherwecanmakethisvisionareality.
Howdoweknowwereontherightpath?Withtighterbud-
gets and a smaller fghting force, greater attention is required to
sustain the right number of people, with the correct education
and training, to fll the necessary jobs, at the proper time in their
careers.TheSpaceProfessionalImplementationPlangivesthe
Air Force a solid roadmap for achieving this mandate and is fex-
ibleenoughtoaccommodatechangesalongtheway.WhileAir
ForceSpaceCommandisalreadymakingbigstrides,anumberof
challengesstillremain.Culturalshiftsandchangearesometimes
metwithapprehensionandskepticism;however,theseinitiatives
areneededtofacetheasymmetricchallengesofthe21stcentury.
Thegrowingcomplexityandtypesofcombatmissionsdemand
thatspaceoperatorsandacquirersgetoutinfrontoftheproblem
intellectually.Tomaintainournationscontinuedpreeminencein
space,theAirForcemustproduceahighlydedicatedSpaceCadre
to execute planning, programming, requirements development,
acquisitionandoperationoffuturemilitaryspacesystems.This
newprofessionaldevelopmentprogramofferstherightapproach,
itenjoysthefullsupportofAirForceseniorleadershipandwe
pledge to commit all of the necessary resources to accomplish
ourgoals.
Since the Space Commission frst published their fndings and
recommendationsinJanuary2001,wehavebeendiligentlywork-
ingtoidentifyandimplementsoundsolutions.SpaceProfessional
Developmentisdesignedtopromotecareergrowthopportunities
whilethoroughlypreparingourpeopletoovercometheincreas-
ingchallengesassociatedwithsecuringtheultimatehighground.
Inaddition,mergingourworld-classspacescientists,engineers,
program managers, operators and other specialists into a more
unifed team, will sustain the overwhelming advantage the United
Stateshascometodependon.Finally,aNationalSecuritySpace
InstituteinColoradoSpringswillpavethewayforeducatingthis
newCadre,whilekeepingourextraordinarycityasthePlacefor
Space. The mutual benefts to individuals and to the community
willbeenduring,aswebecometherecognizedleaderinAdvanced
SpaceEducationandTraining.
ForadditionalSpaceProfessionalinformationvisittheSpace
Professional Development Web Site at: http://www.peterson.
af.mil/spacepro
Professionalswithinwhichthespaceleadersforthefuture
canbedeveloped.
3
TheSecretaryofDefenseagreedwiththeCommissions
fndings and tasked the Secretary of the Air Force (SECAF)
toprepareacomprehensivespacecareermanagementplan.
4
As a frst step, Air Force Space Command built an Air Force

Space Professional Strategythatlaysoutasoundapproach
fordevelopingandsustainingspaceprofessionals.Approved
by the SECAF in July 2003, the strategy identifes the spe-
cialtiesanddisciplinesrequiredtotakespacesystemsfrom
concept to employment.Additionally,theSECAFdesignated
theCommanderofAirForceSpaceCommandastheSpace
ProfessionalFunctionalAuthority,responsibleformanaging
the space career feld.
Implementing the Space Professional Strategy
Beginning with our initial response to the Space Com-
missionReport,theAirForcefocusedonaTotalForcespace
population. We expanded the concept of the AF offcer career
feld for space to include not only offcers, but also enlisted
members,civilians,reservesandnationalguardsmenwhoare
allhighlyskilled,competentandknowledgeableinthedevel-
opment,application,operation,integrationandsustainment
of military space systems. All space professionals will be
affordedspecializededucation,trainingandtrackingoftheir
spaceexperiencewhenevertheyserveinspacepositions.A
morestringentsetofinitiativeswillapplytoasubsetofspace
professionals,knownastheSpaceCadre.TheSpaceCadre
Col James C. Hutto
Air Force Space Command
M
arch 2003-While engaged in a deadly firefight
inCentralIraq,leadunitsofthe3rdInfantryDivi-
sion(ID)mysteriouslylosttheirprimarycommunicationlink
withtheMILSTARSatellitenetwork.Inaninstant,critical
targeting coordinates being transmitted to rear fre support
elementswerecompletelycutoff.Fortunately,analertcrew
fromthe4thSatelliteOperationsSquadronatSchrieverAir
ForceBase,Colorado,quicklydeterminedthatanotheruser
inadvertentlymovedthesatellitespotbeamawayfromthe
combatzone.Afterinitiatingover-rideprocedures,thebeam
was immediately repositioned back to the fght and the urgent
linkwasrestored.The3rdIDwasabletoresumeitscoordi-
natedattackandwentontowinthiskeybattle.
2
Thisstoryrepresentsjustoneofmanyrecentexamplesof
thecriticalwartimerolesplayedbymilitaryspaceassetsand
thededicatedspaceprofessionalswhowieldthem.Makeno
mistake; the victorious outcome of this engagement, along
withnumerousotherbattlesinOperationIRAQIFREEDOM,
wouldnothavebeencertainwithoutdominantU.S.military
spacepower.Duringthepast20years,spacesystemsandthe
peoplewhodevelopandoperatethem,haverepeatedlydem-
onstrated their indispensable contribution on the battlefeld.
Restassured,thisdecisiveroleforspacewillonlycontinue
to expand in future conficts.
Butthisisnotimeforcomplacency.Theacquisitionpipe-
line is flling up with increasingly complex space systems,
suchastheSpaceBasedRadarandTransformationalSatCom
systemsthatwillprovideunprecedentedcapabilities.These
systems will integrate space with air, land and sea battle
arenasinwaysneverbeforeimaginedandpeoplearethe
keytomakingitallwork.Morethanever,specializedspace
expertise will be critical in order to maximize the battlefeld
effectsfromthesehighlysophisticatedsystems.
Asaresult,theAirForcemustredoubleitseffortsinre-
cruitingandtrainingtalentedpeopletodesign,acquire,op-
erate,plan,integrateandsustainacompletelynewgeneration
ofspaceweaponsystems.Thisimperativewasclearlyspelled
outbytheSpaceCommissioninJanuary2001.Asnotedin
their fnal report, The DoD is not yet on course to develop
thespacecadrethenationneeds.Theyfurtherassertedthat
spaceoperatorsandacquirersmustmasterhighlycomplex
technologyandoperatesomeofthemostcomplexsystems
everbuiltanddeployed.ThisconclusionledtheCommission
tocallforinitiativestocreateandsustainacadreofSpace
Crucial to Critical Wartime Roles
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iscomposedofnearly10,000scientists,engineers,program
managers and space operators. At present most of these
individualsareassignedtoAirForceSpaceCommandand
the National Reconnaissance Offce, but many also work at
researchlabs,AirLogisticsCenters,AirandJointStaffs,as
well as other major commands, unifed commands and gov-
ernment agencies. Once identifed, this group will comprise
the AFs core career feld for space. As such, they will be
fullyvestedinthenewprofessionaldevelopmentinitiatives
spelledoutintheremainingsectionsofthispaper.
Identifying the Space Cadre
InconcertwiththeAirForcesnewForceDevelopment
program,theprimaryfocusofourimplementationeffortsis
on enhanced education, training and experience initiatives
toensurewehavetherightperson,withtherighteducation
andtraining,intherightjob,attherighttimeintheircareer.
Tothatend,weareimplementingsixmajorinitiativesthat
will address each of the defciencies identifed by the Space
Commissionand,moreimportantly,provideeachindividual
withbetterprofessionaltools,morepurposefuldevelopment
andmanypathwaystocareersuccess.
Identify whos in the Space Cadre and determine distin-
guishing skills of Space Professionals
The frst step in this process is to carefully identify every
individualwhobelongsintheSpaceCadre.By reviewing
AirForceSpecialtyCodesandindividualdutyhistories,we
canfurtherdistinguisheachmemberandidentifytheunique
experiencestheyacquirewhileservingintheirvariousspace
assignments. In his role as the Space Professional Func-
tionalAuthority, General Lance W. Lord,Air Force Space
Command commander, identifed nine categories of space
experiencethatarecriticaltodevelopandmonitornowand
inthefuture.Itsimportanttonotetheseexperiencesapply
toacquirersaswellasoperators,butadifferentsetofcriteria
willeventuallybeneededtotrackotherfunctionalspecialists.
The nine categories consist of: satellite systems, nuclear
systems,spaceliftsystems,warningsystems,spacecontrol,
intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance, kinetic effects,
spacewarfarecommandandcontrolandageneralcategory
forallothertypesofspaceexperience.Themethodchosento
record and track each of these experiences is a new identifer
knownasSpaceExperienceCodes(SPECs).Thesecodes
arefurtherbrokendowntodistinguishbetweenacquisition,
operationsandstafftypeofassignments,aswellasmuchmore
detailed information concerning the specifc mission systems
involved. In practice, one SPEC will be awarded for each
spaceassignmentcompleted.Wehavealreadycompleteda
datacallonactivedutymembersoftheAirForceSpaceCadre
andrecordedtheirtentativeSPECs.Bythefallof2004,we
anticipate completion of a similar process for government
civilians,aswellastheReservesandNationalGuard.
Institute stronger, technically oriented space education
and training programs
The foundation for space professional development is a
continuum of educational courses spread throughout ones
poses:itmeasurestheoverallhealthandstatusofthespace
cadreanditsetsattainablestandardsforeducation,training
andexperienceatkeypointsintheircareer.Asameasurement
tool, certifcation keeps track of the cadre as a whole, detail-
ingthenumberofindividualsateachlevel.Additionally,it
establishes fair and consistent standards that comply with
U.S.AirForceForceDevelopmentgoals,respondstoSpace
Commissionrecommendationsandfacilitatestheassignment
process. The certifcation program also creates a forcing
function that encourages individuals to meet standards in
ordertostayontrackandcompetitivewiththeirpeers.There
are three levels of certifcation appropriately tailored for of-
fcers, enlisted and civilian cadre members. Individuals will
progress from a foundation of technical depth and compe-
tency(Level1)intheirearlyyears,throughademonstrated
abilitytoapplyandintegratespacecapabilities(Level2)at
approximatelythe8-10yearpointandprogresstoextensive
knowledgeinspacedoctrineandpolicy(Level3)bythe15-
year point of their careers. As implied above, certifcation
criteriaincludesnumberofyearsofservice,typesandyearsof
spaceexperienceacquiredandappropriatelevelsofeducation
andtraining.Wehaveestablishedagrandfatheringprocess
for assigning certifcation levels to each qualifed individual
intheexistingspacecadre.Aregulatedwaiverprocesswill
alsobeestablishedtoaccommodateanyunforeseencircum-
stancesinthefuture.
Identify each Space Cadre position and its education,
experience and certifcation requirements
Once all the cadre members are identifed and appropriately
specifed and certifed, the next step is to re-evaluate the
uniquerequirementsforeveryspacejob.Thiswillinvolve
a complete review of the requisitions associated with each
positiontoidentifyeducation,training,experienceandcerti-
fcation standards. This process will be carefully coordinated
and validated with the owning units and theAF Personnel
CentertoestablishapermanentSpaceCodedBillettracking
system.
Ultimately,thisinformationwillbecompiledintoacareer
planningguideandcatalogofspacepositions. In addition
toprovidinginformationoneveryspacejob,thecatalogwill
beessentialformentoringspaceprofessionalsontheproper
education,trainingandexperiencestheymustpursueinorder
toachievetheirlong-termcareergoals.
Issue Career Development Guidance
AFSPC/CC,designatedtheSpaceProfessionalFunctional
Authority(SPFA)inJuly2003bytheSECAF,willcoordinate
policyguidancetoaidforcedevelopmentteamsinmanaging
thespacecadre.Additionally,theSPFAwillprovideinput
totheAFForceDevelopmentCouncilandperiodicallybal-
ance the number of Space Cadre authorizations versus the
inventorytomeettheneedsoftheNationalSecuritySpace
community.
career. These courses will be offered to all offcers, enlisted
andciviliancadremembers.Thecoursesaredesignedtobring
spaceprofessionalstogetherseveraltimesduringtheircareers
inordertostaycurrentonevolvingmissions,technologiesand
capabilitiesandtopreparetheindividualforthenextlevelof
responsibility.Space100willbetaughttoaccessions,both
operatorsandacquirersassignedtospace-relatedareas,giving
themafoundationinspacefundamentalsandindoctrinating
themintoouruniquespaceculture.Space200willbetaught
toSpaceCadremembersatthe8-10yearpointandfocuses
ontheoperationalenvironment,thedesignandacquisitionof
spacesystemsandtheintegrationofspacecapabilitiesinto
joint warfghting. Finally, Space 300 will be taught to senior
SpaceCadremembersstartingatthe12-yearpointandwill
focusonspacepolicy,doctrineandthestrategicuseofspace
capabilities.Wearealsodevelopingaspacefundamentals
course for other specialists when they serve in their frst space
assignment.Eachofthesecoursesisdesignedtoaccommo-
datejointservice,totalforceandagencyparticipation.
Forabroaderunderstandingoftherangeofspacecapa-
bilities,asmallgroupofspacecadremembersareselected
eachyeartoattendtheU.S.AirForceWeaponsSchool.Upon
graduation,theseindividualsaretypicallyassignedtokeypo-
sitionsinnon-spaceorganizationsincludingmajorcommand
planningfunctionsandtheaterAerospaceOperationsCenters.
Thegoalistobetterintegratespacecapabilitiesintoalllevels
of confict and planning activities as well as bring that opera-
tionalexperiencebackintothespaceprofession.Additionally,
Advanced Space Training (AST) courses, focused on specifc
spacesystems,areunderdevelopmenttoprovidespacecadre
members with an in-depth level of expertise in the design,
vulnerability, operation and employment of an individual
weaponsystem.Theseexpertsreturntotheirorganizationsto
employtheirnewskillsandenhanceunittrainingprograms.
TheinauguralASTcoursedealtwithallaspectsofnavigation
and recently graduated its frst class.
Wearealsoworkingcloselyondevelopmentaleducation
andadvanceddegreeprogramsaspartofthenewU.S.Air
Force Force Development initiative. Specifcally, we assisted
AirUniversityondevelopmentofaSpaceSpecializedStud-
ies course as part of theirAir Command and Staff College
curriculum.Wearealsoparticipatinginreviewofgraduate
educationprogramsattheAirForceInstituteofTechnology
andtheNavalPostGraduateSchool,aswellasvariouscivilian
universities.Anevenmoreambitiousproposalwasrecently
approved to create a National Security Space Institute in
ColoradoSpringsthatwillserveasaSpaceEducationCenter
ofExcellence.
Design a 3-level certifcation program to set standards
and monitor the Cadre
The glue that holds the Space Professional construct to-
gether is a certifcation program. It serves two primary pur-
Establish a permanent Space Professional Management
Offce
To oversee the implementation process, a Space Profes-
sional Task Force was established in October 2002. They
were responsible for writing the Air Force Space Profes-
sionalStrategyandassociatedImplementationPlan,aswell
as directing development of the new education programs
andestablishingrelationshipswithotherspaceprofessional
developmentorganizations.Whilethetaskforcewasonly
intendedasaninterimentity,theinitiativesarenotself-sus-
tainingandwillrequirepermanentmanagementandoversight.
As a result, a new Space Professional Management Offce
(AFSPC/MSPAX) has replaced theTask Force and contin-
uestomanagetheprogramonbehalfoftheSPFA,including
administration of the certifcation process, coordination of
thenewSpace100,200,300,ASTandSpaceFundamentals
courses,evolutionoftheNationalSecuritySpaceInstitute,
andimplementationofreportingandtrackingproceduresfor
allspacecadremembers.
Conclusion
With tighter budgets and a smaller fghting force, we must
constantlystrivetosustaintherightnumberofpeople,withthe
right education and training, to fll the right jobs, at the proper
timeintheircareers.TheSpaceProfessionalImplementation
Plangivesusasolidroadmapforachievingthismandateand
is fexible enough to accommodate changes along the way.
Whilewerealreadymakingbigstrides,anumberofchal-
lengesstillremain.Culturalshiftsandchangearesometimes
metwithapprehensionandskepticism.Howevertheseinitia-
tivesareneededandhavethefullsupportofAirForcesenior
leadership.WorkingindividuallywiththethousandsofSpace
Cadre members throughout theAir Force is a monumental
task,butitsimperativethateveryoneunderstandshowthe
newprogramworksandhowitinteractswithforcedevelop-
ment. Were confdent we can accomplish all of our goals and
wereworkinghardtoimplementtheprogramassmoothlyas
possible.Foradditionalinformation,pleasevisittheSpace
Professional Web Site at: https://halfway.peterson.af.mil/
spaceproforthosewith.milaccountsorhttp://www.peterson.
af.mil/spaceproforthosewithcommercialonlyaccess.
Notes:
1. Statement to the Senate Armed Services Committees Strategic Forces Sub-
Col James C. Hutto, Jr. (BA, The Citadel;
MS,LesleyCollege)istheChief,ForceDevel-
opmentandReadiness,HeadquartersAirForce
Space Command, Peterson Air Force Base,
Colorado. He is responsible for development,
implementation and funding of the Air Force
SpaceProfessionalStrategytoincludeeducation,
training and certifcation development. He is the
spaceprofessionalliaisonwiththeotherServices
and the National Reconnaissance Offce. In pre-
viousassignments,ColHuttogainedexperience
insatellitecommandandcontrolfortheDefense
SupportProgram,DefenseMeteorologicalSat-
ellite Program and Global Positioning System
satellites.WhileassignedtotheAirStaffinthe
Pentagon,heassistedinthedevelopmentofthe
AirForcesStrategicMasterPlanandVision.Col
Hutto also commanded the 6th SpaceWarning
SquadronatCapeCodAirForceStationwhere
he was responsible for detecting sea-launched
ballistic missiles and tracking earth-orbiting
satellites.ColHuttoisagraduateofSquadron
Offcer School, Air Command and Staff College,
RoyalAustralianAirForceCommandandStaff
CollegeandAirWarCollege.
committee by USECAF, 12 March 2003, 1, 8
2. The story of moving the MILSTAR Satellite spot beam in support of the 3rd
Infantry Division during Operation IRAQI FREEDOM as recounted by Capt Ryan
Stalnaker, 4th Satellite Operations Squadron, Schriever AFB CO
3. Report of the Commission to Assess United States National Security Space
Management and Organization, Chaired by the Hon. Donald Rumsfeld, 11 January
2001, viii, xiii, xviii, 27, 42
4. Hon. Donald H. Rumsfeld, National Security Space Management and
Organization, Secretary of Defense Memorandum for Secretaries of the Military
Departments, 18 October 2001
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Q. What is a Space Professional?
A.Amemberofateamskilledandknowledgeableinthe
development,applicationandintegrationofspaceconcepts,
doctrineandcapabilitiestoachievenationalsecurityobjec-
tives.
Q. Who is included in the Space Professional popu-
lation?
A. Total Force population of offcers, enlisted, and gov-
ernmentciviliansrequiredtotakespacesystemsfromconcept
toemployment.Composedoftwogroups:
SpaceCadrecomposedofscientists,engineers,program
managersandoperators
Space Support composed of personnel vital to space
missionsuccessandincludesspecialistssuchasintelligence,
communication,maintenance,logistics,weatherandothers
Q. What is included in the Space Professional Devel-
opment Program?
A. The program hinges on three areas: depth of expe-
rience, breadth of experience, and education and training.
Eachareacontributestoenhancingtheexpertiseofthespace
professional, and each is vital to improving the profciency of
theindividualandthecadreasawhole.
Q. Is Space Professional Development consistent with
the AFs proposed Force Development Program?
A.Yes!Eachdevelopmentprogramwillbedesignedto
ensurethatyourexperienceemphasizesabreadthofexposure
totheAirForcemissionwhilefocusingonthedepthofexperi-
enceyouneedtobegoodatyourjob....Theprogramswill
be prioritized in a manner that respects your valuable time
and eliminates square flling training and education. . . . In
allcasestherewillnotbeonesetsolutionforsuccess.We
willexamineeachindividualbasedoncredibility,depthof
experience,breadthofexposure,andpotentialtoservetheAF
inhigherpositionsofresponsibility.(FromGeneralJohn
Jumper,CSAF,ChiefsSightPicture,6November2002)
Q. Will there be a certifcation process, and, if so, how

will it work?
A. Yes. The details of the certifcation plan are still being
fnalized. The evolving concept is similar to the recognized
AcquisitionProfessionalDevelopmentProgram,established
to develop AF acquisition offcers. We envision three certi-
fcation levels with the individuals level of certifcation tied
directlytothepillarsofSpaceProfessionaldevelopment
depth of experience, breadth of experience, and education.
The certifcation process will be a measurement tool to help
ensuretheentireSpaceProfessionalDevelopmentProgram
is achieving its goals. More importantly, it will serve as a
mentoringtoolforsupervisorsandindividualstouseinascer-
tainingprofessionaldevelopmentpaths.Asnotedelsewhere,
the certifcation process will have defnite check points
butwillnotbeachecklistforcareeradvancement.Thatwill
continuetoresidewiththeindividual.
Q. Will certifcation levels affect my career?
A. They could. A Space Professional certifcation process
willestablishguidelinesforindividualcareerprogression,and
willvarybycareerpath.Itwill;however,notbeachecklist
for guaranteed promotion or job assignments. These will
continuetodependmoreonanindividualssustainedperfor-
mance,ratherthantheirchronologyofjobtitles.Thepurpose
ofSpaceProfessionalDevelopmentistocreateapurposeful
andrepeatablemethodforimprovingtheoverallgrowthof
theSpaceProfessionalcadre.
Q. If I am already serving as a Space Professional how,
will my certifcation level be determined?
A.TherewillbeagrandfatheringprocessforcurrentSpace
ProfessionalsbasedontheguidelinesintheAirForceSpace
Professional Development strategy, but modifed to refect the
experienceandeducationofeachcurrentSpaceProfessional.
TheAFSPCSpaceProfessionalTaskForce,ordesignatedau-
thority,willdevisethegrandfatheringprocedures.Weexpect
mostgrandfatheringwillberelativelystraightforward,but
therewillalwaysbethosegrayareasthatneedtoberesolved.
The exact grandfathering process is still being developed.
Checkbackoftenforupdates.
Q. When will this process begin?
A.TheSpaceCadrewillhaveSpaceProfessionalExpe-
rience Codes (SPECs) and Certifcation levels assigned by
June 2004 and Billets will be identifed with SPECs and
Certifcation levels by the end of the Summer 04.
Q. How do I stay abreast of the latest information

regarding Space Professional Development?
A. The Commander, Air Force Space Command, will
periodically provide updates via established public affairs
methods.Inaddition,AirForceSpaceCommandhasestab-
lishedthiswebsiteasavitalpartofgettingthewordoutto
theSpaceProfessional.Checkitoften.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Q. Will Space Professionals be allowed to serve in non-
space assignments?
A.Yes.AsAirForceresources,SpaceProfessionalswill
stillhavetheopportunities(andareexpected)toserveina
varietyofAFrequirements.Selectivecareerbroadeningwill
beallowedaswellasservingasROTC,USAFA,andPME
instructors,recruitingandotherkeypositions.
Q. What tools will be available to track my progress
and mentor others within this program?
A.ASpaceProfessionalDatabaseisbeingdevelopedto
trackallexperience,educationandtrainingthroughoutaSpace
Professionalscareerandwillbeaccessibletotheindividual
toreviewtheirprogress.Supervisorsandcommanderscan
alsousethisdatabasetohelpguidepersonnelthroughouttheir
careers.Accesswillbeprotectedtoensuretheprivacyofthe
individual. We envision the Space Professional Database,
Space Professional Website and certifcation program to be
threekeytoolsthatsupervisorswilluseinmentoringSpace
Professionals.Checkthiswebsiteformoreinformationon
thedatabase.ExpectedavailabilityfortheDatabaseisfall
of2003.
Q. Do other services have Space Professional pro-
grams?
A. Yes. The intent of the Space Commission was to
developandenhancespacecompetenceonanationalscale.
EachServiceisdevelopingtheirownprogramandwearein
constantcontactwiththem.Weexpecttheprogramswillbe
similar, but not identical, to meet the specifc needs of each
Service.
Our frst priority is developing our people to
lead us into the future, and educating them
through Space Professional Development
- this is signifcant, as weve formulated a plan
that ensures the success of our operators,
developers and maintainers as one warfghting
space cadre.
Air Force Space Command Commander
March 2004
ProfessionalTaskForce(AFSPC/CVX)ischargedwithde-
velopingnewprograms,policesandprocedurestoimplement
the Space Professional Strategy. The offce is implementing
neweducationandtrainingcoursestoimproveourknowledge
basewhileenhancingourspaceculture.Theyhavedeveloped
new ways to track our Space Cadre personnel during their
careers.Therearenewexperiencetrackingmechanismsand
a Space Professional Certifcation process that will challenge
ourcadretopushpastthestatusquoandsharpentheirskills
inthespacearena.Personnelwillbedeliberatelydeveloped
toensuretheyacquirethenecessaryeducation,trainingand
depthofexperienceinspacemissionareastomeetpresent
and evolving national security space requirements. Future
assignments will be driven by the need to fll these require-
mentsbyputtingtherightpersonwiththerightexperience
intherightjobattherighttime.Thatisspaceprofessional
developmentinanutshell.
Letsjumpforwardtotheyear2015andAirmanDoeis
controllingasatelliteintheSpaceBasedRadarconstellation
insupportofJoint ForcesAir Com-
ponent Commander, in the PACAF
Area Of Responsibility. This par-
ticularsatelliteiscurrentlytrackinga
highprioritytargetandisbeingused
tocueastrikepackageandthenthe
satelliteexperiencesananomaly.Will
Airman Doe be ready for the chal-
lenge and keep our capability-based
effect on target? If we implement
spaceprofessionaldevelopmentcor-
rectly,theywillbeready.Spaceisthe
battlefeld of tomorrow and the space
professional development programs
beinginstitutedtodaywillensureour
enlistedspacecadreisreadyforitand
willguaranteeourpositionasthebest
airandspaceforceintheworld.
Notes:
1. Report of the Commission to Assess
United States National Security Space
Management and Organization. (2001).
Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing
Offce
2. Lord, L. W. (2003). Space Professional
Strategy. <http://www.peterson.af.mil/
spacepro/Documents/Strategy%20Lower.pdf>
(2004, Mar 04)
Chief Master Sergeant Ronald G. Kriete
Command Chief, Air Force Space Command
T
his inaugural issue is
dedicated to space pro-
fessional development. Other
articles will detail the Space
Commission findings and the
programs to improve our man-
agementofspaceprofessionals.
1
However,Iwanttofocusonthe
importanceofourenlistedspace
cadretoournation.Onlyinthe
U.S. Air Force can an Airman
controlamulti-billiondollarsat-
elliteconstellationrelayingtime
critical information for tens of
thousands of warfghters on the front line in various theaters
around the world. How can we do this? OurAirman are
successful because we provide them
thebestpossibleeducationandtraining,
while they are asked to perform these
highly specialized duties covering all
aspectsOfspaceoperations.Thistime
tested approach brought us to where
wearetoday.WeremainthebestAir
andSpaceForceintheworld.Butwe
cannot rest on our laurels. With the
increasing complexity of new space
systemsonthehorizon,weneedtoim-
proveoureducation,trainingandman-
agementoftodaysspaceprofessionals
sowewillmaintainoursuperiorityin
operations as we integrate these new
systems into our war fghting capability.
Thatiswhywehavespaceprofessional
development.
GeneralLordinhisroleastheSpace
Professional Functional Authority
outlinedhisdirectionfordevelopment
and utilization of space professionals
intheSpaceProfessionalStrategy.
2
It
providesoverarchingguidanceforhow
theUSAFwilldevelopandmanageour
space cadre of approximately 10,000
officer, enlisted, civilian, guard and
reserve personnel. Air Force Space
Commands Space Professional Man-
agement Office, formerly the Space
Cover of the 2001 Space
Commission report.
CMSgt Ronald G. Kriete(CCAF)istheCom-
mandChiefMasterSergeanttothecommander,
AirForceSpaceCommander,PetersonAirForce
Base,Colorado.ChiefKrieteisresponsiblefor
advising the commander and senior staff on
matters infuencing the health, welfare, morale,
effectiveutilization,qualityoflife,andprogress
ofthecommandsenlistedmembersintheUnited
Statesandoverseas,encompassing13timezones.
ThechiefcompletedPhase1NCOPME,Phase
II NCO PME, Tactical Air Command NCO
Leadership School, Air National Guard NCO
AcademyandUSAFSeniorNoncommissioned
Offcer Academy.
Developing Enlisted Space Professionals
Lieutenant General Larry J. Dodgen
Commanding General, U.S. Army Space and Missile De-
fense Command/U.S. Army Forces Strategic Command
Itiscertainlyapleasuretocontributetotheinauguraledi-
tionoftheUnitedStatesAirForceSpaceCommandsSpace
Journal.TheUnitedStatesArmySpaceandMissileDefense
Command (SMDC) wholeheartedly shares in the Journals
theme of fostering awareness and debate among the entire
spaceprofessionalcommunityandwelookforwardtopartici-
patinginthisjointeffort.
OurNationisatwar.Securityofourhomeland,theGlobal
WaronTerrorism(GWOT)andsustainedengagementaround
the world defne todays complex and uncertain operating en-
vironment.OperationsENDURINGFREEDOMandIRAQI
FREEDOM (OEF/OIF) are demonstrating as never before
the importance of space to the Army and the Joint Warfghter.
Although Operation DESERT STORM is often called the frst
space war because it was the frst time space-based capabilities
were used to support an army during a confict, the space-based
resourcescurrentlybeingemployedinOIFandOEFarede-
monstrablymorecapable,moreabundant,andmoreintegrated
intoallphasesofcombatoperations.Theimmensecombat
capability of the U.S. Army, fghting as part of the joint and
coalitioneffort,hasbeenfacilitatedandenhancedateverystep
byspaceprofessionalsleveragingspaceproductsandservices
for joint warfghters.
LeadingthateffortaretheArmyscadreofspaceprofes-
sionals, who provide the Army, the joint warfghter, and De-
partmentofDefenseorganizationswiththeexpertise,access,
andtoolstomakemaximumuseofspaceassetsinallphases
of operations. TheArmy space cadre professional ensures
readily available access to the services and products of na-
tional,serviceandcommercialspacesystems.Througheach
phaseofoperations,theArmyspaceprofessionalprovidesthe
warfghter a focal point to synchronize space operations and
maximize the value of space to the fght.
Tooffersomebackground-in2000,theCommissionto
Assess United States National Security Space Management
andOrganizationwasestablishedtoassesstheorganization
andmanagementofspaceactivitiesinsupportofU.S.national
securityinterests.TheCommissionunanimouslyconcluded
thatthesecurityandwellbeingoftheUnitedStates,itsallies
andfriendsdependedonthenationsabilitytooperateinspace.
ReferredtoastheSpaceCommission,itstronglyadvocated
themilitarydepartmentscreateandsustainatrainedcadreof
space professionals. The Honorable Donald H. Rumsfeld,
whochairedthecommissionuntilhisnominationbyPresident
BushtobetheSecretaryofDefense,agreedwiththecommis-
sionsconclusionthatanewandcomprehensiveapproachto
national security space management and organization was
neededtopromoteandprotectthenationsinterestsinspace.
On18October2001,SecretaryofDefenseRumsfeldtasked
themilitarydepartmentstodevelopandmaintainacadreof
space-qualifed professionals.
TheArmy,however,hadalreadyrecognizedtheneedfor
a cadre of space professionals specifcally trained in and
knowledgeable about space capabilities to complement the
actionsofthesignal,intelligence,informationoperations,and
engineering staff offcers. Lessons learned from DESERT
STORM and subsequent exercises, emerging technologies,
theproliferationofballisticandcruisemissiletechnology,and
theincreaseduseofspacebythegovernmentandcommercial
sector created the need for an Army cadre of space-qualifed
professionals.Tosatisfythisneed,theArmy,in1998,estab-
lished a space operations functional area designated FA 40
SpaceOperations.SMDCistheArmyproponentforspace
and the personnel proponent for all FA 40 offcers. In 2000,
eight offcers graduated from an interim space course but the
frst graduates of the Space Operations Offcer Qualifcation
Course (SOOQC) received their certifcates 3 August 2001,
and were immediately assigned across the Army, the Offce of
theSecretaryofDefense,variousdefenseagenciesandamong
the joint combatant commands. The impact of these space
operationspioneerswasimmediateastheycontributedtothe
developmentofspacedoctrineandspacetactics,techniques,
andprocedures.Theyturnedthelatestspacetechnologyinto
unrivaled capabilities for the joint warfghter and forces in
the feld.
To date, 82 offcers, including one Marine Corps offcer and
one Army non-commissioned offcer, have successfully com-
pletedtherigorouseight-weekSOOQCconductedinColorado
Springs,Colorado.Thesegraduateshavebeenexposedtoa
varietyoffocusedareasoftrainingdesignedtoprovidethem
the skills required to plan and conduct space operations to
supportacommandersconceptofoperations.Theseareasof
traininginclude:planningspacecontroloperations,analyzing
friendlyforcespacecontrolcapabilitiesandlimitations,recom-
mendingspaceapplicationstosupportthemilitarydecision-
makingprocess,determiningtheimpactofspaceandterrestrial
weather on space and terrestrial operations, producing the
spacestaffestimate,andapprisingthecommandandstaffon
space-relatedmissions,functionsandcapabilities,tonamea
few.Thecourseendswithafour-daycapstonecommandpost
Army Cadre Ensure Security
of Vertical Battlefeld
exercisewherestudentsmustsuccessfully
applyskillsfromallpreviousinstruction
duringatacticalscenario.
Upon graduation, space professionals
havedemonstratedtheabilitytoprovide
the joint warfghter a specialized capa-
bility for planning, developing, training
andintegratingspacecapabilitiestosup-
port tactical, operational, and strategic
militaryoperations.Theyhavetheaccess,
tools,andexpertisetomakemaximumuse
ofspaceassetsinallphasesofoperations.
Armyspaceprofessionalsarealsotrained
to provide the joint warfghter the exper-
tiseandguidanceonconductingthespace
componentofinformationoperations.In
addition, these offcers may attend further
training viaAdvanced Civil Schooling,
Training with Industry, Air Education
andTrainingCommandorSpaceWarfare
Centercourses.
The Army Space Operations Offcer also brings at least 10
yearsofbasicbranchArmydoctrineandtacticalexperience
to the joint warfghter. This experience in the Armys combat
arms, combat service, or combat service support branches
enables the space operations offcer the unique opportunity to
adaptspaceoperationstothetactical,operationalandstrategic
mission of the component commander. In the feld, the space
operations offcer strongly advocates SMDCs goal of nor-
malizingspacethroughoutallArmyandjointoperationsand
activities,i.e.,maketheuseofspacebusinessasusual.
Makingtheuseofspacebusinessasusualmeansbeingin
the fght wherever our Nations forces are engaged. The Armys
spacecadre,whetherprovidingreach-backcapabilityfrom
thetheaterofoperationstoahome-stationlocation,toaug-
mentingourdeployedforcesindirectcontactwiththeenemy,
areatthetipofthespearsupportingGWOTandOIF.
Army Space Support Teams (ARSSTs), supporting the
CoalitionForceLandComponentCommander(CFLCC),V
Corps,1stMarineExpeditionaryForce(IMEF)andtheCo-
alitionProvisionalAuthority,providedspaceproducts,services,
and exper-
tise directly
to the joint
warfighter.
Additional
s p a c e -
trained Sol-
di er s and
liaison of-
ficers sup-
ported the
S p e c i a l
Operations
Commandandotherdeployedunits.Of
particular signifcance was the ARSST
imagery capability, coordinated with
SMDCs Spectral Operations Resource
Center (SORC), used in fast-moving
tacticalscenarios.Whenthe4thInfantry
DivisionoccupiedtheTikritpresidential
palace it came under fre from mortars,
rocket-propelled grenades and small
arms.TheARSST14teamonsitepro-
videdthecommanderwithimageryofthe
palacecomplexandthesurroundingarea.
Using this current imagery, the enemy
positions were identifed and successfully
counterattacked.
SMDCsSORC,crewedbyArmyand
Air Force personnel, delivered unclas-
sifed commercial imagery for Central
Command (CENTCOM) press briefngs.
This imagery down-linked by the Air
ForceEagleVision1systemwaspassedtotheSORCforpro-
cessingandwasbriefedbyBrig.Gen.VincentBrooks,CENT-
COM,within24hoursofimaging.Otherimageryproducts
used showed the oil well fres created by the crumbling Iraq
regime.TheSORC,workingwithARSSTs,utilizedmulti-
spectralimageryanalysistoidentifythelocationsofenemy
mine felds, determine suitable sites for airborne assault op-
erations,assistunitswiththemobilemissile-huntingmissions,
help planners reposition logistics staging areas to ft their needs
better and avoid potential food areas and in the identifcation
ofpotentialmassgravesitesintheBaghdadarea.
OurspaceSoldierswiththeArmySpace-basedBlueForce
TrackingMissionManagementCenter(SB-BFTMMC)also
workedcloselywiththeCFLCCbyprovidingNear-Real-Time
BlueForceTrackingdatatotheVCorpscommanderforthe
portionoftheCorpsApacheHelicopterforceequippedwith
the Grenadier BRAT (beyond line-of-sight reporting and
tracking)system.TheSB-BFTMMCprovidedsupportfor
400GrenadierBRATand2,500miniaturetransmitters.Space
cadre Soldiers of the Regional Satellite Communications
SupportCenters(RSSC)andtheDefenseSatelliteCommu-
nications System Operations Centers (DSCSOC) provided
reliableandresponsivesatellitewide-bandcommunications
support.SpaceprofessionalsintheSMDCOperationsCenter,
working24/7,maintainedsituationalawarenessofdeployed
elements,respondedtohundredsofrequestsforinformation
andprovidedtheessentialreach-backsystemofconnectivity
withtechnicalandoperationalprofessionals.
TheArmysspacecadrealsoincludesmembersoftheArmy
AstronautDetachmentassignedtotheJohnsonSpaceCenter,
Houston, Texas, supporting the National Aeronautics and
SpaceAdministration(NASA).TheArmyhasbeeninvolved
inspacesincethe1950s.Duringthatdecade,theArmybegan
workonaheavyboosterrocketcalledSaturn1,whichlater
Col. Patrick G. Forrester, USA, taking a space walk while working on the
International Space Station.
A noncommissioned officer with the Army Space
Support Team 5 during the deployment with the 1st
Marine Expeditionary Force in Iraq.
evolved, under NASA, into the massive Saturn V that sent
Americans to the moon. WhenAlan Shepards Mercury 3
capsule made its historical fight in 1961, the launcher was a
modifed Army Redstone rocket, created by Dr. Wernher Von
BraunandhisrocketteamattheArmysRedstoneArsenal.
ArmyAstronautshaveworkedontheInternationalSpaceSta-
tion,conductedspacewalks,workedonadvancedrobotics
systemsandsupportedcrewstrainingforscheduledmissions.
TherearecurrentlysixArmyAstronautsandtwospacesup-
port offcers supporting NASA. The Armys participation
in the Astronaut program confrms that space is the Armys
ultimatehighground,asPeterB.Teets,UnderSecretaryof
theAirForce,proclaimed.
AlthoughtheArmyisgrowingaprofessionalcoreofspace
operations offcers, the Armys space professional cadre is
additionallymadeupofSoldiersandciviliansfromavariety
ofbranchesandfunctionalareasofourservicewhobringa
unique capability to the collective space-support system. Off-
cers, warrant offcers, Soldiers and civilians from the Military
IntelligenceandSignalCorpsalongwithothers,constitutea
largepopulationofspace-smartprofessionalswhoworkspace-
related issues and requirements fully
integrated into the collective process.
Otherspaceprofessionalsincludescien-
tists,engineersandacquisitionexperts
skilledandknowledgeableinresearch,
spacesystemdevelopment,acquisition
and application of emerging technolo-
gies to support theArmys needs and
jointfullspectrumoperations.Theyare
competentandskilledinallaspectsof
developing, procuring, employing and
advising the warfghter on maximizing
theuseofspacesystemstosupportfull
spectrumoperations.
OngoingsuccessintheGWOTand
OIF is not only because of superior
technologyandtheproductsmentioned
previously.Successisbeingachieved
becauseofmotivated,educated,trained
andcompetentprofessionalspacecadre
consistingofSoldiersandcivilianswho
arefullycommittedtomeetingthena-
tionalsecurityspaceneedsofthe21st
century.
ThefutureoftheArmyspacecadre
of professionals is an exciting one as
it continues to evolve and grow while
developing space professionals who
are trained, educated and experienced
onthevalueofspacetothejointwarf-
ighter.LessonsfromGWOTandOIF
arebeinggatheredandstudied.These
lessons will help us refne the curriculum
of the SOOQC and will be subsequently applied in the feld.
TheArmyStaffwiththeDeputyChiefofStaff,G-3,having
theleadwithSMDCinsupport,arecurrentlyworkinghardto
addressanumberofissuesvitaltothelong-termdevelopment
oftheArmysspacecadre.Theseissuesincludedeveloping
consensus on space cadre membership and responsibilities;
establishing an Army space cadre offce for management and
oversight; developing a comprehensiveArmy space cadre
strategy;establishingatrackingsystemtoidentifyandsup-
porttheArmysspacecadredevelopment,education,training,
retentionandassignments;andobtainingproperfundingfor
cadre training, education, administration and management.
TheArmyisalsoconsideringanAirForceproposaltoestablish
ajointspaceuniversitycalledtheNationalSpaceUniversity.
Theconceptisbeingdeeplyanalyzedwhileresourcingissues
areaddressedbybothservices.Currently,Armyspacecadre
professionalsattendtheAirForceInstituteofTechnologyand
theNavalPostGraduateSchool.Spaceprofessionalsofthe
otherservicesattendtheArmysSOOQCaswell.TheArmy
isalsoconductingaSpaceEnlistedForceStudydesignedto
provideaworkablerecommendationtoincorporatethebest
mixture of enlisted force specialties
asmembersoftheArmyspacecadre.
As the Army identifes requirements
and develops capabilities for its fu-
ture force,Army space professionals
willbeincreasinglyintegratedintoall
phasesofcurrentandfutureoperations,
planning, research, development and
acquisitioneffortswithintheArmyand
DepartmentofDefense.
The Army is an interdependent
memberofthejointspacecommunity
thatreliesonspaceproductsandser-
vices provided by national, military
and commercial space systems and
platforms. We are committed to the
robust development of our profes-
sional space cadre to provide the
joint warfghter with the capability to
assure complete decision dominance
and decisive victory on todays and
tomorrows battlefelds. We are work-
ingwiththeDoDinitsphasedstrategy
implementationeffortstosynchronize
andintegratethespacecadreactivities
ofthemilitarydepartmentsandintel-
ligence community to the maximum
extentpossible.Asspaceisavertical
extension of the battlefeld, the Armys
spacecadreprofessionalwillleadthe
effort,incollaborationwiththeother
services,toensuretheultimatehigh
groundissecured.
LTG Larry J. Dodgen (BS, Louisiana State
University;MBA,UniversityofMissouri;MS,
USNA) is the Commanding General for the
U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Com-
mand/U.S. Army Forces Strategic Command.
LTG Dodgens military career began in Fort
Hood,Texas, and spanned to various countries
toincludeKoreaandSaudiArabia.Heservedin
GermanyastheChiefoftheCINCsInitiatives
Group, Offce of the Commander in Chief, U.S.
ArmyEurope.HealsoservedasthesixthDeputy
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Policy and
MissionsandtheDirector,JointTheaterAirand
MissileDefenseOrganization.LTGDodgenis
a graduate of the Air Defense Offcer Basic and
Advanced Courses, the U.S. Army Command
and General Staff College and the U.S. Naval
WarCollege.
CAPT Cheryl Spohnholtz
Navy Space Cadre Advisor
E
arly in its history, the United States Navy began to
exploittheoceanofspaceindirectsupportofships
deployed to the far reaches of the globe. The U.S. Naval
Observatorywasestablishedin1844andhassinceplayeda
leadingroleinastronomy,precisemeasurementsandtime-
keeping.TheObservatoryhasbeenamajorcontributorto
themodernspaceerathroughitsaccuratemeasurementsof
theEarthsmotion,globalcoordinatesandthemaintenance
ofprecisetimestandards.TheNavysresearchanddevel-
opmentcommunityhasbeenontheforefrontofspacescience
and responsible for the introduction of major space-based
systems in navigation, surveillance and communications.
Andoperationally,theNavyhasemployedsatellitesystemsto
enabletheFleettoperformvitalcommand,communications,
controlandsurveillancefunctions.
NavyandMarineCorpsforcesareconsistentlythelargest
users of space systems and space-derived information. At
thethresholdofthe21stcentury,theNavysuseofspaceis
criticaltotheexecutionofeveryphaseandcomponentofits
mission.
In spite of its longstanding and accomplished history in
theexploitationofspace,theNavyhasnotinstitutionalized
a specialized career path in space for its members, in the
samewayithasdevelopedsurface,aviationandsubmarine
warfarecommunities.Initially,theserviceelected,instead,
to capitalize on the space education and experience of its
offcer community. Beginning in the mid-1980s, concurrent
with the development of space operations and space engi-
neeringcurriculaattheNavalPostgraduateSchool,theNavy
began coding offcers as space subspecialists. As space
subspecialty codes were then assigned to particular offcers
billetsonnumberedFleetstaffsandatcommandsashore,the
servicebeganassigningNavymemberswithmatchingcodes
tothosepositions.
Morerecently,theNavyhasbeguneffortstobuildacadre
of space smart offcers, enlisted personnel and civilian
employees. The Naval Space Cadre Working Group was
formedin2001inresponsetoSecretaryofDefenseDonald
Rumsfelds fndings on the report issued that year by the
CommissiontoAssessUnitedStatesNationalSecuritySpace
ManagementandOrganization.InOctober2001,Secretary
Rumsfeld directed the armed services to maintain a cadre
of space-qualifed offcers as a means of ensuring that space
willbeincorporatedintoallmilitaryoperations.
The Naval Space Cadre is composed of active-duty and
Navy Develops Own Space Cadre
reserve Navy and Marine Corps offcers and enlisted per-
sonnel, along with Navy civilian employees from a wide
range of career felds who meet mandatory education, training
and experience standards established for a particular certi-
fcation level. The Navy Space Cadre is a distinct body of
expertisehorizontallyandverticallyintegratedwithinNavy
andMarineCorpsactiveduty,reservesandcivilianemployee
communitiesorganizedtooperationalizespace.Stillwithout
a separate career feld in space, the Navy capitalizes on the
space education and experience of its offcers, enlisted and
civilianworkforcetocreatethecadre.
Initial identifcation of the cadre began in mid-2001 with
the standup of the Naval Space CadreWorking Group and
culminated in a naval message (NAVADMIN 201/03 DTG
211435Z JUL 03) announcing the frst 700 offcer members of
the cadre. These offcers were identifed by the subspecialty
codesof6206,SpaceSystemsOperations,and5500,Space
Systems Engineering or by the additional qualifcation desig-
nator of VS1, VS2, VS3 or VS4. Identifcation of enlisted and
civiliancadremembersismorechallenging,asthesegroups
do not have specifc space identifers like the offcers do.
Approximately 265 billets are currently identifed as space
billets.ThesejobsareinNavy,jointandNationalSecurity
Space organizations. Space cadre members are currently
assigned throughout the National Security Space arena,
including the National Reconnaissance Offce, National Se-
curitySpaceArchitect,NationalSecuritySpaceIntegration,
MILSATCOM Joint Program Offce, as well as in all Navy
organizationsthatdealwithspace.
Formal management of Navy space expertise offcially
began in September 2002 with the assignment of the frst
spacecadreadvisor.Thispositionisresponsibleforthees-
tablishment, identifcation and tracking of the Navys Space
Cadre,includingboththepeopleandthebillets.
Afocusedefforttodevelopanavalspacecadrewebpres-
enceonNavyKnowledgeOnline(NKO)hasbeenspearheaded
byLt.Cmdr.ZigmondLeszczynski,spacerequirementsof-
fcer, Naval Network Warfare Command. He has maintained
andupdatedanavalspacecadresiteonNKOtoincorporate
recommendationsandcontentfromawiderangeofmilitary
space-relatedorganizations.ContributorsincludetheNaval
PostgraduateSchoolsSpaceSystemsAcademicGroup for
spacecadreeducation;NavalNetworkandSpaceOperations
Commands (NNSOC) Distance Space Support Teams for
reachbackonNKO-S;JointSpaceUniversity(JSU)forin-
structor collaboration; theAir University Center for Space
StudiestopromotetheNavyspacecadretotheAirForce;and
theIPcommunityforintercommunitythreadsharing.
Information and news on Navy space initiatives and
programs is provided in a reference library that includes
publicationssuchastheNaval Space ForumbySpaceand
NavalWarfareSystemsCommandsSpaceFieldActivityand
DomainmagazinebyNNSOC.
TheAirForceSpaceOperationsSchoolintroducedtheir
instructors to the space cadre section on NKO, which im-
mediatelyresultedinonlinecollaborationforNavyinputsto
Space200.NavalNetworksandSpaceOperationsCommand
provided JSU with study guides and briefs for their Navy
SatelliteCommunicationsCourseandNavalSpaceSystems
ApplicationCourse.Bothcontainawealthofinformationto
facilitateSpace200development.
The Naval Space Cadre supports our warfghters by rep-
resentingnavalinterestsasapartnerwiththeAirForcethe
executiveagentforspacebycontinuallyinnovatingandde-
velopingnewproductsandprocessestosupportnavalneeds
andbyensuringthoseproductsandprocessesareintegrated
into naval warfghting. They support the naval space strategy
ofmakingspacetacticallyrelevanttonavaloperations,aswell
as providing that operational favor to the National Security
Spacecommunity.
The USS Iwo Jima sits off the coast of Souda Bay, Crete waiting for the order to deploy 26th MEU forces to northern Iraq.
CAPT Cheryl Spohnholtz (BS, USNA; MS,
NavalPostgraduateSchool)currentlyservesas
the Navy Space CadreAdvisor, a newly estab-
lishedpositiontohelptheNavybettermanageits
peoplewithspaceexpertise.Capt.Spohnholtzs
career has focused on information technology,
specializinginsatelliteoperations.Herassign-
mentsinthespacearenahaveincludedserving
astheWorldwideMilitaryCommandandControl
System ADP Operations Offcer, Assistant to the
TechnicalAdvisor for Operations and Launch
Officer, Armed Forces Communications and
Electronics Association Senior Navy Fellow,
Joint Staff Action Offcer managing UHF satellite
communicationpolicyissues,Commander,Naval
ComputerandTelecommunicationsStationand
a requirements offcer for the National Security
SpaceArchitect.(Photo unavailable)
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Capt Ronaldo Racinez
Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps
F
rom its inception, the Marine Corps has modeled
itself as an expeditionary force, and our history is frmly
rootedinoperationsconductedabroad.Marineshavemain-
tainedthisexpeditionaryethosbyfocusingonourabilityto
embarkequipmentandpersonnel,acquiringequipmentthatcan
functioninanexpeditionaryenvironment,andmaintaininga
hightoothtotailratio.Generally,ifwecantembarkiton
ashiporaplane,wefeelwedontneedit.
The Marine Corps organizes to fght as a Marine Air-Ground
TaskForce(MAGTF).TheMAGTFisacombinedarmsforce
that brings together aviation, ground forces, combat service
supportandacommandelementtoexecutemissions.
TheMarineExpeditionaryUnit(MEU)isthecrownjewel
of Marine Corps expeditionary forces. Built around a Bat-
talionLandingTeam,MEUsareMAGTFsthatareconstantly
deployed around the world in support of theater combatant
commanders. The MEU, with its organic aircraft, artillery,
armor,andinfantry,aswellasitsabilitytosustainitself,have
madeittheforceofchoiceforcrisissituations.Onceonsta-
tion,theMEUcanreach75percentoftheworldslittoralsin
fve days and can execute a mission within six hours of being
taskedbythesupportedcombatantcommander.TheMEUcan
taskorganizeitselftosuitmissionrequirementsandcanemploy
atailoredcombinedarmsforceveryrapidlythisforcecanbe
transported by air or sea and carries suffcient combat power to
immediately infuence most crisis situations as well as enable
theintroductionofmorerobustcombatforces.
Increasingthecombateffectivenessandcombatpowerofour
MAGTFsrequiresustocontinuallyevaluateourcapabilities.
Indoingso,weneedtoaskourselveswhatisthenextstep?
andfocusoureffortontheenablersthatwillensuretheMarine
Corpsisabletomaintainitsexpeditionaryedgeandethos.One
ofthesenextstepsisthecontinuedintegrationofspace-based
capabilitiesintoMarineCorpssystemsandoperations.
Space Operations
Spaceoperationsandspace-basedcapabilitieshavebecome
moreimportantto21stcenturywarfare.WhiletheAirForce
and the National Reconnaissance Offce operate the majority
ofspace-basedsystemswhichjointandcoalitionforcesrely,
it is the individual services responsibility to ensure it can
leveragespace-basedcapabilitiesaswellascontributetothe
development of future space-based capabilities. In fact, the
CommandantoftheMarineCorpsisdirectedinDoDDirective
5100.1,toorganize,trainandequipMarineforcessuchthat
theycanconductland,airandspaceoperationsessentialtoa
navalcampaign.
One of the recent changes in the Unifed Command Plan
directedthemissiontooverseeDoDspaceoperationstothe
Commander,U.S.StrategicCommand.Thisalongwithother
keymissionareasdesignatedforUSSTRATCOMpromptedthe
CommandantoftheMarineCorpstodirecttheestablishment
ofaUSMCServicecomponenttosupportthecombatantcom-
mander.MARFORSTRATrepresentsUSMCcapabilitiesand
interests and advises the USTRATCOM commander on the
properemploymentandsupportofUSMCforces.Insupportof
USSTRATCOMsspaceoperationsmission,MARFORSTRAT
coordinateswithUSSTRATCOMandtheothercomponents
onthedevelopmentofspaceoperationalplans,spacesupport
toglobalandtheateroperations,spacerequirementsandspace
operatingconcepts.
Marine Corps Cadre of Space Professionals
The Marine Corps ability to fully leverage space-based
capabilitiesandtointegratespaceoperationsinsupportofour
coremissionswillalsorequirethecreationofaMarineCorps
cadreofspaceprofessionals,capableofsupportingMAGTF
operations and contributing to National Security Space ef-
forts.TheMarineCorpsisnotcreatingaspaceoccupational
feld or space career feld, but has established the following
goals and strategic objectives for creating a cadre of space
professionals.
With a cloud of dust created by a CH53E Super Stallion behind him, a communicator with
Fox Co., 2nd Battalion, 6th Marines, the ground combat element of the 22nd MEU (SOC),
talks with higher headquarters via a satellite radio during a long-range helicopter raid.
The 22nd MEU returned in late August from a six-month deployment to the Mediterranean,
Horn of Africa, Persian Gulf and South Asia regions.
Marines Increase Effectiveness with
Space-based Capabilities & Forces
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TheMarineCorpsgoalistoproduceandmaintainacadre
ofMarines,activedutyandreserveandcivilianswithadiverse
set of primary Military Occupational Specialties (including
ground,aviation,combatsupportandcommandandcontrol)
whoare:
1. Trainedinjointspaceoperationsplanning;
2.EducatedinNationalSecuritySpace(NSS)activities;
3. Experienced in space requirements generation, concept
development,planning,programming,acquisitionand/or
operations.
TheMarineCorpsstrategicobjectivesincreatingaSpace
cadreare:
n
TosupportthevisionandgoalsofMarineCorpsStrategy
21bycreatingacadreofMarineswho
understand both the capabilities of a
MarineAir-Ground Task Force and
the unique advantages to be gained
byfullyexploitingcurrentandfuture
space-basedsystems
n
Toincreasetheintegrationofcurrent
and future space-based capabilities
intoMarineCorpssystemstosupport
the Corps Expeditionary Maneuver
Warfare capstone concept and to
enable FORCEnet and the transfor-
mational naval operational concepts
of Sea Strike, Sea Basing and Sea
Shield
n
To shape the development of future
spacesystemstomeetMarineCorps
war fghting needs through increased
collaborationwithallNSSpartners
n
To increase the effectiveness of our
operating forces through effective
planning,integrationandcoordination
of space-based capabilities and as-
signedspaceforces
n
ToincreasethedistributionofMarines
withspacetrainingandexperiencethroughoutnotonlythe
NSSandjointcommunity,butmoreimportantlythrough-
outtheoperatingforcestoinjectspace-knowledgeatthe
individualunitlevel
Way Ahead
TheMarineCorpshasalreadytakentheinitialstepstocreate
a space cadre by creating a space operations staff offcer skill
designator,MilitaryOccupationalSpecialty(MOS)9933,for
Marinestrainedinjointspaceoperationsandhaveexperience
inaspace-relatedbillet.TheMarineCorpsspacecadrealso
includes space operations offcers, who have completed the
SpaceSystemsOperationscurriculumattheNavalPostgraduate
School.Aswemoveforward,wewillcontinuetointegrate
ourenlistedandcivilianMarineswithspacetrainingandspace
experienceintothespacecadre.
Thereareanumberofbilletsthatalreadyrequireeitherthe
9933orthe9666MOSthroughouttheMarineCorpssupporting
establishmentandinjointcommands.TheMarineCorpsis
continuingtoevaluateitsstructuretoidentifyadditionalbillets
neededtosupportourstrategicspacecadreobjectives.This
year,theMarineCorpsexpectstorequestadditionalspacebil-
letstosupporttheMarineCorpsoperatingforcesandtheDoD
ExecutiveAgentforSpace.
Wehavealsostartedtoreviseandupdatethespaceopera-
tionslessonsinourProfessionalMilitaryEducationprograms
sothateveryMarinewilllearnhowspacecontributestothe
joint fght. We are also working closely with the U. S. Army
Space and Missile Defense Command andAir Force Space
Command to develop training courses that will support the
development of a Marine Corps space
cadre. In the past, many Marines have
completed space operations training
coursesandoverthepastyear,Marines
have attended the FA-40 Space Opera-
tions Offcer Qualifcation Course and the
prototypeSpace200courseattheSpace
Operations School, Colorado Springs,
Colo.TheMarineCorpswillcontinueto
sendpersonneltospacetrainingcourses,
notonlytoprovidethemwiththespace
trainingtheyneedbutmoreimportantly
tointeractwithpersonnelfromtheother
services. This interaction in the class-
room will help foster the understanding
necessarybetweentheservicesthatwill
leadtoamorecapablejointforce.
The Deputy Commandant for Man-
powerandReserveAffairsiscoordinating
theHeadquarters,MarineCorpseffortto
develop a cadre of space professionals
and is working closely with the other
departmentstoensuretheMarineCorps
canquicklymeetourstrategicspacecadre
objectives.
Capt Ronaldo Racinez (BS, Northwestern
University;MS,NavalPostgraduateSchool)is
currentlyservingastheNationalSecuritySpace
Plans Offcer in the Information Operations
and Space Integration Branch; Strategy and
PlansDivision;Plans,PoliciesandOperations
Department;Headquarters,U.S.MarineCorps.
One of his primary responsibilities has been
thedevelopmentoftheMarineCorpscadreof
spaceprofessionals.CaptRacinezcompleted
the Marine Aviation Supply Offcers Course.
Marines from the Joint Task Force Enabler, 24th Marine
Expeditionary Unit, conduct an operations check on a satellite set
up during a communications exercise at Camp Lejeune, N.C.
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Lt Col Joseph E. Brouillard
Space Operations School
T
heU.S.AirForceSpaceOperationsSchool(SOPSC),
Colorado Springs, Colorado, founded on 28 June
2001,strivestobetheAirCorpsTacticalSchoolofSpace.
The SOPSC mission is to be theAir Force lead in the de-
velopment and instruction of space tactics, techniques and
procedures(TTP),conceptsandsystemsknowledgerequired
for warfghter preparation to accomplish military operations.
Throughitseducationandtrainingprograms,theSOPSCas-
sists in bringing the full force of space to the battlefeld.
School Background
TheSOPSChasexperiencedasimilardevelopmentpath
asearlyairpowerdevelopment.Airpowercameofageatthe
closeofWorldWarI.ThebattlesofSt.MihielandMeuse-
Argonneprovidedproofthatairforcescouldaffectground
operations and battlefeld decisions. As a result, during the
post-wareranearlyeverymajorpowerestablishedanairarm
andintegrateditwithitsarmedforces.
Theinitialairpowercadrewaspoorlytrainedinairtactics
and techniques. To remedy this, theArmy established the
Air Service School to train and educate offcers to command
airunits.Later,in1926,theinstitutionbecameknownasthe
AirCorpsTacticalSchool(ACTS).TheACTSeducatedand
returnedsystemexpertstotheirsquadrons.
Throughout its existence, theACTS was the intellectual
centerofthepre-WorldWarIIArmyairarm.Althoughits
primary mission was to educate air offcers to properly em-
ployairpower,theschoolbecameinextricablyinvolvedinthe
developmentofairdoctrineandthepushfornewairpower
technologies. Indeed, for the more than 20 years between
WWI and WWII, air doctrine and tactics proved to be the
cornerstoneoftheTacticalSchool.
OperationsDESERTSTORMandIRAQIFREEDOMgave
us a glimpse of what space can bring to the fght. Today, space
powerisinitsinfancymuchasairpowerwasinthe1920s.
TheSOPSCseesspaceTTPdevelopment,education,training,
strategyanddoctrineevolutionasourprimaryDoDcontri-
bution.TheoutcomeofSOPSCsmissiontodaywillimpact
ournationsabilitytowageandwinfuturewars.
Mission Today
The Space Warfare Center, Schriever Air Force Base,
Colorado, is theAir Forces center of excellence for space
tacticsandtheorydevelopmentandtheSOPSCservesasthe
mediumforeducatingspacewarriors.Ithelpsfurtherspace
powerdevelopmentbybringingtogetherpeoplefrommany
career felds including pilots, space and missile operators,
scientists,engineersandprogrammanagers.
Since its inception in 2001, the SOPSC instructed more
than 3,500 DoD offcers, enlisted, cadets and contractors
ontacticalaspectsofspacepower.Inaddition,theSOPSC
providedcomputer-basedtrainingprogramsservingamuch
largeraudience.
TheSOPSCtrainsAFSPCsAirExpeditionaryForcede-
ployersandseniorleaderstoeffectivelyemployspaceassets
inAirOperationsCenters(AOC).Indoingso,theSOPSC
is able to provide space warfghters system-specifc training
toincludetheuseofAOCchecklists.FromtheAOCspace
desktothetheaterDirectorofSpaceForces,todaysAFSPC
deployers are better prepared to effectively and effciently
integratespaceacrossthespectrumofdeployedoperations.
SOPSCtrainsstaffmembersandseniorleadersfromthe
Pentagon,U.S.StragtegicCommandandNASAonDoDspace
systemcapabilities,applicationsandlimitations.Thisservice
isessentialtothosewhodonothaveaspacebackgroundand
a good review for those whose careers have brought them
backtospace.Inaddition,theSOPSChasarobustliaison
programwiththejointcommunity,U.S.AirForceAcademy,
NATOandAirUniversity.Throughthisprogram,weprovide
mutual training support and leverageother communities to
improveandupdateourcourses.
Space Professional Education and Training
In early 2003, the SOPSC began exploring and refning
space professional education and training. Eventually, the
SOPSC was given the mantle forAF and joint-level space
professional education. Based on a recommendation from
the 2001 Space Commission Report, the DoD determined
that the development and sustainment of a cadre of space
professionalswasatoppriority.DODD5101.2designates
theAir Force as the executive agent for space. In support
ofthisinitiative,theSOPSC,workingwithAirForceSpace
Command and sister DoD organizations, successfully de-
veloped, delivered and executed its frst space professional
course,Space200.
Space200isafour-weekcoursegearedtowardmid-career
offcers, NCOs and civilians at the eight to ten year career
point.PortionsofSpace200weretakenfromexistingSOPSC
courses and augmented with additional material in the felds
ofacquisition,engineeringandnuclearoperations.Space200
places a stronger emphasis on warfghter integration of space
power in the joint fght.
SOPSC Educates Space Warriors
Space Focus
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Conclusion
TheSOPSCisaverydynamicandresponsiveorganization.
OurtrainingandeducationhasimmediateimpactintheAOC
andinthefuturethroughbetterunderstandingofspaceacqui-
sition, engineering, employment and strategy. We fll a unique
andimportanttrainingandeducationvoidenablingspace-savvy
warfghters to actively and effectively take part in the fght.
From USAFA cadets to unifed commanders, the warriors we
traintodaywillmakethedifferenceinourpresentandfuture
conficts.
Space100istheentrylevelspaceprofessionaleducation
andtrainingcourse.Thiscourseisownedandexecutedby
AirEducationandTrainingCommand,VandenbergAirForce
Base, Calif. The frst class is scheduledforearlyFY05.
Space 300 will target the 12-15 year group of the space
cadre. The course, currently under development, will be a
four-weekcoursebuildingupontheconceptslearnedinSpace
200.Space300willexploreOPLANconception,development
andthestrategicthoughtanddoctrinebehindtheemployment
and integration of space assets. The frst class is set for de-
liveryinSeptember2005.
The SOPSC developed and executed the Space Support
Course(SSC)toeducatenewspacepersonnel.TheSSC,a
one-weekcourse,providestheeducationalandtrainingbridge
for new space support personnel no matter where they are
in their careers. Space support personnel are those offcer,
enlistedandcivilianpersonnelfromallservicesexpectedto
serveonespacetourandreturntotheirparentorganization.
Space100,200,300andtheSSCaregeneralizedcourses
geared towards the introduction, tactical application and
strategicplanningofspaceassets.Duetothenumberofsys-
tems,vastapplicationsandcomplexityofspaceassets,these
courses are, by necessity, overviews. To gain operational
depthinspacesystems,theSOPSCcreatedadvancedspace
trainingcourses.
Advanced Space Training
Duringtheearlyyearsofairpowerdevelopment,theACTS
educated and trained experts in airpower employment (i.e.
pursuit, bombardment, air-to-air engagement) and tactics
andtheyalsopushedfornewtechnologies.Theseairpower
expertsreturnedtotheirsquadronsasinstructorsandtacticians
andobtainedmeasurableresultswhencalleduponincombat.
Thisvisionaryconceptwasrevolutionaryforitsday.
Today,withtheforesightofGeneralLanceW.Lord,Air
ForceSpaceCommandcommander,AdvancedSpaceTrain-
ing (AST) will transform generalists into the system-specifc
warfghters and tacticians of tomorrow. Todays complex
space systems cannot be taken for granted. From design
toemployment,ourspacesystemsmustbridgetremendous
gulfsintime,technologyandapplications.ASTcoursesare
intense 12-week Weapons School-level, in-depth, system-
specifc training that afford eight to ten chosen individuals
theopportunitytobethenewestDoDspaceexperts.
ASTcourseswilldevelopexpertsinmissilewarning,space
control,satellitecommunicationandothersandreturnthese
space-system experts to their squadrons and wings, coding
themforfutureassignmentanddeploymentneeds.ASTswill
cover system-specifc applications, capabilities, limitations,
tactics,commandandcontrolstructure,contingencyopera-
tions,design,acquisitionandoveralloperationalintegration.
TheSOPSCfeelsthattheASTcourseswillmakethemost
contributionstowardspacepowerinthefuture.
Lt Col Joseph E. Brouillard(BA,TheCollege
ofCharleston;MAS,EmbryRiddleAeronautical
University)istheDirector,FacultyDevelopment,
SpaceOperationsSchool,SpaceWarfareCenter,
SchrieverAirForceBase,Colorado.Currently,
he manages the schools Space Professional
EducationandTraining,developmenttoinclude
Space200andAdvancedSpaceTrainingcourses.
DuringOSWandOEF,LtColBrouillardserved
astheDeputyAirMobilityDirectorandChief,
TankerCombatOperationsintheCombinedAir
Operations Center located at Prince SultanAir
Base,SaudiArabia.LtColBrouillardisaMaster
Navigator with 2,200 fight hours and is a grad-
uate of Squadron Offcer School, Air Command
andStaffCollegeandAirWarCollege.
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Col Mike McPherson, Commander, 607th Air and
Space Communications Group
Maj Rhonda Leslie
14th Air Force/A6
T
heSingleIntegratedSpacePicture(SISP)initiativeison
trackgainingmomentumandcapability,deliveryand
implementationatAirForceSpaceCommand,PetersonAir
Force Base, Colorado.The SISP is a
leading edge initial operational pro-
totypethatstandstoradicallyoverhaul
and enhance space and information
awareness for U.S. and allied warf-
ightingandpeacekeepingcapabilities,
tohelptransformmilitaryforcesand
ensurenationalsecurity.
SISPs primary purpose is to pro-
vide global and theater commanders
the data, intelligence and means to
proactivelymonitor,assess,planand
execute,thusthecommandandcontrol
spaceforcestooptimizeandachieve
necessary effects. The concept was
conceivedanddevelopmentchartered
inresponsetotheneedforandsynergy
gainedfromasingle,coherentviewof
all space forces capabilities, threats
andeffects.
When fully operational, a future
full-spectrumSISPwillenablespace
situationalawareness,spaceplanning
and automated machine-to-machine
collaborationwithSpaceandTheater
Air Operation Centers (AOCs). It
will also display health and status of
missionsystemsandprovidedecision
support,nearreal-timestatusofforces,
and visibility of military, national
agency, civil and commercial space
assets.SISPwilldemonstratetheabil-
ity to flter and display non-DoD space
systemdataaswell.AstheSISPma-
tures,itwilleventuallybecomeacrit-
icalmemberoftheGlobalInformation
Grid(GIG).TheGIGisthegloballyinterconnected,end-to-
endsetofinformationcapabilities,associatedprocessesand
personnel for collecting, processing, storing, disseminating
and managing information on demand to warfghters, policy
makersandsupportpersonnel.
SISPwillpowerfullyfacilitatetheintegrationofspaceas-
setsintomilitaryoperations,providereliableinformationin
nearreal-timeandenablecommonality
andinteroperabilitybetweenservices
andforces.Thisweaponsystemwill
provide reliability and fexibility as it
employssatellitecommunications,var-
ious mediums and forces throughout
air, surface, ground, space, undersea
andcyberspace.SISPwillprovidea
vast foundation for network-centric
warfare and technologically enhance
U.S.HomelandDefenseefforts.The
tailored common operating picture
directlysupportstheDoDsFamilyof
InteroperableOperatingPictureandis
envisionedtobeemployedbyglobal
and theater users at all echelons of
commandJointTaskForce,C2Nodes
aswellasothers.
Thegraphicaluserinterface(GUI)
availableviaaSpaceCommonDesk-
top will provide users with a Global
Mission Summary view, theater-spe-
cific health and status lookup and
status alert via the Mission Critical
ReportingSystemwebinterface,and
also enable the launching of various
other applications. The software is
a combination of government and
commercially developed web-based
applications.TheSISPGUIinterfaces
withvariousmodelingandsimulation
tools(usedforcourseofactiondevel-
opment)andisGCCScompliant.
SISParchitectsutilizeadual-track
developmentapproachviarapidpro-
totype felding and formal acquisition
SISP Provides Big Space Picture
Future Forecasts
Col Michael R. McPherson (BS,USAFA;MS,
Western New England College; MS, Air Force
InstituteofTechnology;MS,NavalWarCollege)
isCommanderofthe607thAirandSpaceCom-
municationsGroup,OsanAirBase,Korea.Work-
ingdirectlyforthe7thAirForcecommander,the
group provides communications support for he
KoreaAirComponentCommandwithemphasis
on command and control connectivity. Prior to
his current assignment, Col McPherson was the
Chief, Architecture and Integration Division at
HeadquartersAirForceSpaceCommandandwas
responsible for policy, architectures, integration,
interoperability and security of communications
andinformationsystems.Hewasalsoresponsible
forbuildingAirForceSpaceCommandasingle
integratedspacepicture,necessaryforproviding
battlespaceawarenesstocommandandcontrolits
spaceforces.Hisotherassignmentshaveincluded
the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation
Center, Pentagon, U.S. Strategic Command and
tocountriesinEuropeandtheMiddleEast.Col
McPherson is a graduate of Squadron Offcer
School,AirCommandandStaffCollegeandJoint
Staff Offcers Course.
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processes.Thisensuresthattheunderlyingtechnologyre-
mainsleadingedgeandissupportable.SISPJumpstartwas
the frst spiral, with capability demonstrated on 22 Dec 2003.
Since then, Spiral 1 initial operational prototype capability
wasdeliveredtotheSpaceAOCat14thAirForce,Vandenberg
AFB,CAon21Jan2004.ItsfeaturesallowtheSpaceAOC
to augment its baseline capabilities and address real-world
situations.UponreceivingtheSpiral1capability,Maj.Gen.
MichaelA.Hamel,14thAFcommanderremarked,thisisan
extraordinaryeffort.Itisanexcellentexampleofthepowerof
informationtechnologytorapidlyaddvalue.Thecapabilities
even in this initial delivery are operationally signifcant and
providecombatcapability.14thAFwantstogetitshandson
asmuchspiraledcapabilityaspossibleasquicklyaspossible
andwillcontinuetobeademandingcustomerbecauseitloves
whatthecommandisdoingwithSISP.
SISPcontinuestoevolveasitiscontinuallyupgradedand
demonstrated to joint-service leadership and organizations.
Thenextstepistoimplementthesustainmentplantoensure
Spiral1isfullysupportable.TheSpiral2designisbaselined
and fnal, having passed its engineering design review. The
SpaceAOCandHQAFSPCCommandCenterarecurrently
theprimecustomersandprototypeexecutionprovingground
locations.TheSpiral2designwillbedemonstratedduring
theJointExpeditionaryForcesExperiment(JEFX)andupon
completion, Spiral 1 and 2 capabilities will be transitioned
into a formal acquisition program (the next version of the
SpaceBattleManagementCoreSystem).Finally,workhas
alreadybeenstartedonrequirementsforSpiral3capabilities
duefordeliverybyJanuary2005.
This weapon system will provide reliability
and flexibility as it employs satellite
communications, various mediums and
forces throughout air, surface, ground,
space, undersea and cyberspace.
Col Michael R. McPherson
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servicesbyadvocatingacommonbaselineoftheinformation
lifecycle.Thegoalforthespaceinfo-structureistobefully
operationalandseamlessacrosstheentireGlobalInformation
Grid(GIG).
The space infostructure provides seamless connectivity
supportacrossalloperations,commandandcontrolandmis-
sionsupportfunctions.
TheGIGisagloballyinterconnected,end-to-endsetof
informationcapabilities,associatedprocessesandpersonnel
for collecting, processing, storing, disseminating and man-
aging information, on-demand, to warfghters, policy mak-
ersandsupportpersonnel.Itincludesallownedandleased
communications,computingsystemsandservices,software,
data,securityservicesandotherassociatedservicesnecessary
toachieveDecisionandInformationSuperiority.TheGIG
supports all Department of Defense, national security and
relatedintelligencecommunitymissionsandfunctions(stra-
tegic,operational,tactical,andbusiness),inwarandpeace.
3
Itprovidescapabilitiesfromalloperatinglocationsandde-
ployedsitesandinterfacestocoalition,alliedandnon-DoD
users and systems. The GIG interfaces with various space
andC4ISR(CommandControlComputersCommunication
IntelligenceSurveillanceandReconnaissance)assetstode-
liverseamlesscommunicationsneededtoprovidecommand
and control (C2) function necessary to support Air Force
requiredcapabilities.
The foundational tie for theAir Force infostructure and
spaceinfostructureistheenterpriseservicescomponentofthe
GIG,calledtheGIGEnterpriseServices(GES).TheGESis
asuiteofvalue-addedinformation,webandcomputingcapa-
bilitiesthatwillimproveuseraccesstomission-criticaldata.
4
GES consists of services such as collaboration, mediation,

enterprise systems management and situational awareness
thatspanacrossbothinfostructures.
Compliance of space assets to the space infostructure is
mandatoryandkeytoachievingtheAirForcecorecompe-
tenciesofInformationandSpaceSuperiority.AirForceChief
ofStaffGeneralJohnP.Jumperspolicyletterdated6August
2002,emphasizedtheneedforinteroperabilityamongjoint
andservice-levelarchitecturesandtheirassociatedsystems.
Space-based capabilities are essential for future warfghting
andpeacekeepingeffortsbecausetheUnitedStatesmilitary
must transport large volumes of data at light speed. The
capabilities,satellitesandequipment,communicationslinks
andnodesandgroundstationsfordatarelay,helpensurethe
availability of robust, reliable and secure communications
for providing intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance
(ISR)support,precisenavigationandtargeting,earlymissile
warningandadverseweatherdevelopments.
Thespaceinfostructurearchitecturewillfacilitateinterop-
erability among joint- and service-level architectures and
their associated systems. It will aid in establishing policy,
Col Mike McPherson, Commander, 607th Air and
Space Communications Group
Maj Rhonda Leslie
14th Air Force/A6
Asthe21stCenturyUnitedStatesAirForceisrebornand
transforms its organization, operations and technological
warfghting and peacekeeping capabilities, Headquarters Air
ForceSpaceCommand(AFSPC)isframingamulti-faceted,
multi-lane,multi-vehicle,openthoroughfarevirtualnetwork
thatprovidesmilitarycommandandcontroltoair,space,land
andwater.Thisvisionaryspaceinfostructuredevelopment
pavesthewayforradicalchange,spacesuperiority,opera-
tional effciency, future growth and enhanced capabilities for
theAFSPCcadreofspaceprofessionals,theGuardiansof
theHighFrontier.
1
AFSPCsmissionistodefendtheUnitedStatesthroughthe
controlandexploitationofspace.Thismissionisachieved
thoughtheemploymentofsixfunctionalconcepts:assuredac-
cesstospace;C2ofspaceforces;globalinformationservices;
global surveillance, tracking, and targeting; prompt global
strike; and space superiority. These concepts support U.S.
ObjectivesforSpaceto:promotethepeacefuluseofspace,
usethenationspotentialinspacetosupportU.S.domestic,
economic, diplomatic and national security objectives and
develop and deploy the means to deter and defend against
hostileactsdirectedatU.S.spaceassetsandagainsttheuses
ofspacehostiletoU.S.interests.
2
AFSPC Directorate of Logistics and Communications
infostructure architects are developing the framework that
will consolidateAFSPCs patchwork infostructure under a
single mission system construct. It supports theAir Force
infostructure requirementsofsituationalconnectiontobat-
tlespace entities, dynamic reconfguration, assured and pri-
oritizedinformationdeliveryandnetwork-centricenterprise
The role of space in the global information grid
AF Space Infostructure Meets the GIG
Future Forecasts
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operational procedure and guidance to transition from a
program-centricverticalacquisitionapproachtocapabilities-
drivenhorizontalacquisition.Thisapproachisdesignedfor
implementing,operating,maintainingandevolvingthecom-
municationandinformationsystemsandservicesessentialto
achievingcapabilitiesintheSpaceandC4ISRCapabilities
CONOPS (Concept of Operations). The Space & C4ISR
CapabilitiesCONOPS,isoneofsixcapabilityCONOPSin
theAirForce.ThesearetransformingAirForceplanning,
programming,requirementsandacquisitionprocessesfrom
theircurrentsystemorganizedstructuretoawhobringswhat
effects to the fght structure. The Space & C4ISR CONOPS
seekstoguidethedevelopmentofadvancedspace,C2battle
management, communication and computer systems, and
ISR to provide predictive battlespace awareness, facilitate
precisionattack,andultimatelycompresstheKillChain.
TheSpaceandC4ISRCONOPSadvocatesthecapabilities
that result in globally responsive and persistent forces that
becomethecenterpiece ofJointC2architectures.Information
willbedeliveredtoleadersanddecision-makersintheprior-
ityandformattheyspecify.Fromthiscomesourfamilyof
systems that satisfes the air, space and joint team requirements
forthefuturewith:
n
targeting quality surveillance and reconnaissance from
space;
n
updatedcommunicationslinksandtechnologytoenable
theabilitytoseamlesslycommandandcontrolforcesin
anytheatreofoperations;
n
robust space situation awareness, to include character-
izationandreporting;
n
defensiveandoffensivecounterspacecapabilities;and
n
investmentsinnon-nuclearpromptglobalstrikealongwith
continuedmodernizationofourland-baseddeterrent.
Our investments inAir Force Space Command support
this. AFSPC istrulya stakeholderin advancedC4ISRfor
thefuture.OurCONOPSovercomesthestovepipedsystems
mentalityandoutlinesourfuturecapabilities.
TheSpaceandC4ISRoperationalconceptgraphic(OV-1)
showshowtheimplementationforthisarchitectureenables
the capabilities outlined in the CONOPS. Specifcally, the
architectureshowshowdataispushed,pulled,processedor
storedhorizontallyacrossthesurface,airandspacedomains
byusingAirForceinformationinfra-
structureandultimatelytheGIG.
C4ISR is the key enabler for our
militarys transformation. It ensures
theconsistentimplementationandef-
fective employment in all operations
andprovidesthenecessaryinformation
foreffectivecommandandcontrolof
all our forces. C2 is an operational
art that is supported by the commu-
nications and intelligence required
for mission accomplishment. C4ISR
architectureisarepresentation,asof
acurrentorfuturepointintime,ofthe
C4ISR domain in terms of its com-
ponentparts,whatthosepartsdo,how
thosepartsrelatetoeachother,andtherulesandconstraints
underwhichthepartsfunction.
5
AsstatedbySecretaryofDefenseDonaldRumsfeld,The
developmentanddeploymentofatrulymodernandeffective
command,control,communicationandintelligencesystem
is fundamental to the transformation of the U.S. military
forces...Space,DecisionandInformationSuperiorityare
essentialforeffectiveandtimelybattlemanagementandpre-
dictiveoffensiveanddefensiveaction.Thustheneedforanet-
work-centricsystemofsystems,theGlobalInformationGrid,
thatprovidesamongotherservicesinteroperability,bandwidth
on-demand,immediateandcontinuoustransmissionofinfor-
mation to fxed and deployable command and control forces,
collaboration,informationassuranceandmanagement,shared
dataanddiverserouting.GlobalEnterpriseServicesensure
theabilitytodelivertherightinformation,totherightplace,
attherighttime.
AirForceSpaceCommandistransformingthespacecom-
munications and information enterprise to enable warfghter
decisionmakerstoactinstantly,decisivelyandeffectively.
Aknowledge-superiorAirForcerequirescarefulblendingof
airandspaceoperationalknow-howwitharobust,reliable
communications and information infrastructure or infos-
tructure. Warfghting space and missile systems depend on
networkcentriccapabilitiesandservices(infostructure)that
havegrownpiecemealovermanyyears.Itisnownecessaryto
operateourinfostructureasasingleintegratedmissionsystem
initsownright:thespaceinfostructure.Spaceinfostructure
architecture represents a net-centric baseline for the infor-
mationlifecycletosupportthespacemissionsofAirForce
Space Command. The net-centric operations and warfare
frameworkcomesfromtheGIGandAirForceinfostructure
architectures,whichprovidethebasisforthespaceinfostruc-
turearchitecture.Thisarchitectureisessentialtoachievethe
capabilities identifed in the Space and C4ISR CONOPS.
Notes
1. Infostructure is the shared computers, ancillary equipment, software,
frmware and related procedures, services, people, and other resources used
in the acquisition, storage, manipulation, protection, management, move-
ment, control, display, switching, interchange, transmission, or reception of
data or information in any format including audio, video, imagery, or data,
whether supporting Information Technology or National Security systems
by incorporation, protection, detection, and reaction capabilities.
2. U.S. Objectives for Space, De-
fenseLINK, available online: http://www.
defenselink.mil/pubs/spacechapter3.pdf.
3. Global Information Grid, Defense
Information System Agency (DISA), available
online: http://www.disa.mil/ns/gig.html.
4. GIG Enterprise Services, Defense
Information System Agency (DISA), available
online: http://www.disa.mil/main/ges.html
5. C4ISR defnition available on Dept. of
Navy Chief Information Officer (DONCIO)
website: http://www.don-imit.navy.mil/glos-
sary/defnition.asp
Maj Rhonda L. Leslie (LA, City Colleges of
Chicago;BS,AmberUniversity)isanIMAon
assignmentto14thAirForce.MajLeslieserves
asthe14thAFsliaisontoHeadquartersAirForce
SpaceCommandLogisticsandCommunication
ArchitectureBranch.Shesalsoamemberofthe
SingleIntegratedSpacePictureprototypedevel-
opment and SATCOM subpanel. Maj Leslies
career includes serving as a Space and Missile
Systems Offcer, Radio Relay Communications
Technician,AvionicsSensorSystemsTechnician
andaRadioRelayCommunicationsTechnician
amongothers.MajLeslieisagraduateofSquad-
ron Offcer Course, Offcer Space Prerequisite
TrainingandtheAcademyofMilitaryScience.
(Photo unavailable)
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As a frst step, Air Force Space Command built an Air Force

Q. Will there be a certifcation process, and, if so, how

Q. How do I stay abreast of the latest information

GES consists of services such as collaboration, mediation,

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