CONTRIBUTED BY
JERRY DAKINS
AND ANDREA SANDERS
On March 15, the E.W. Allgood VFW Post 5404 hosted Lt. Col. Jennifer Beisel from the United States Space Force and Technical Sergeant Aharon Smith from the United States Air Force. This event was to inform and educate local veterans about the mission of the newly created US Space Force which was established on Dec. 20, 2019.Â
As liaison between Delta 13 and the Jeanne M. Holm Center for Officer Accession and Citizen Development located at Maxwell AFB, Beisel oversees USSF interests in the Officer Training School (at Maxwell AFB), Reserve Officer Training Corp (College Program) and Junior Officer Training Corp (High School Program). Smith, a seasoned recruiter with the Air Force, helps fill positions in this newest entity of the Department of Defense. These recruits are called Guardians and the structure of ranks is based on the Air Force structure. Currently there are 13 career fields offered for the Enlisted side and six for the Officer side. Civilian positions are available as well to work with active duty personnel. The challenge is to find people who are the right fit. They are looking for people with a technology and scientific background, but more importantly who can think outside the box to come up with ways to overcome the challenges that are inherent with a new and unfamiliar battlefield.
The post learned that the main mission is to focus on intelligence and cyber warfare to defend U.S. interests and laws in the region of the outer space near Earth called geo-space. This includes the upper atmosphere, ionosphere, as well as the magnetosphere.
It can be called the domain of the Sun-Earth interactions. This is not what one might envision through Hollywood movies such as Star Wars, Star Trek or even Space Balls.
Their mission is much more complicated and takes special skills to combat, for instance, satellites that control operations on ground. So, the knowledge to operate, maintain and even build technologically advanced systems is a must. This is just a sliver of the responsibilities of the U.S. Space Force.
As does most organizations in their infancy, the Space Force needs logistic and administrative support, hence the close relationship between them and the U.S. Air Force. This is very much reminiscence of the history with the Air Force when it first forged its separation from the U.S. Army, to the U.S. Signal Corps and finally into what we know today as the U.S. Air Force. Nothing happens overnight and this is no different.Â
Recruiting is strongest when the population is aware and becomes educated, and finally excited about the newest armed service.
So, if you are curious and perhaps interested in a new and exciting adventure in this chapter of our great American history, jump onboard. You can visit the website www.spaceforce.mil. This might just be your new adventure to become part of history.
