PACAF commander stresses importance of space

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Jeremy Larlee
  • Air Force News Agency
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AFNEWS) --  With a command that stretches across 16 different time zones, Pacific Air Forces Commander General Paul V. Hester, is a fan of the work space professionals perform in the Pacific.

The general spoke to a crowd of military, civilian and industry space professionals during the last day of the 23rd National Space Symposium April 12, about how his command and Air Force Space Command work together.

"We look to space professionals to assist us in all of the coverage we need," he said. "Space enables air to do its business in the Pacific arena."

He said the ability space resources gives his command to monitor the Pacific area is unmatched. Some missions that would normally require ground troops and maritime assets can be done by space operators. This can bypass diplomatic red tape, because there is no need to ask countries permission to move troops into their regions, he said.

The extra speed can come in handy with the extreme weather that occurs in the Pacific.
General Hester said that there is a very vital humanitarian mission in his command, and that sometimes there seems like there is a different natural disaster in the region every time he wakes up.

"Our ability to use space assets in terms of weather patterns and the ability to predict what is going on with the atmosphere and the environment all over the pacific is very key and important to us," he said.

General Hester said that the Pacific-space relationship is not totally one-sided and that his command can offer many resources that the space program can use to continue to evolve.

"We are finding that PACAF is a great place to use as a test bed," he said. "Testing concepts and pushing the envelope of the ability to use space that has always been there and the opportunity for application into places we haven't seen before."

General Kevin P. Chilton, Air Force Space commander, said that the key to space dominance is the ability to continue to evolve. In his speech he warned the crowd about the dangers of becoming too complacent about the country's space program.

"We can not take for granted the advantage we enjoy in this domain," he said. "Today it is no longer a sanctuary. We must expect these advantages and capabilities to be challenged."

General Hester believes that space is integral to the security of the nation, for both today and tomorrow.

"At the end of the day, space in fact enables America to continue to move forward," he said.

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