Civilian leaders shown U.S. space capabilities

  • Published
  • By Donna Miles
  • American Forces Press Service
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AFPN) --  A trip inside the Cheyenne Mountain operations center highlighted an intensive look by civic leaders from throughout the United States into how the U.S. military is using the sky and space to protect the homeland against terrorism.

The civilians, all alumni of the Defense Department's joint civilian orientation conference program, traveled here to learn about the critical role the sky and beyond play in homeland defense.

The conference introduces civilian "movers and shakers" to the military so they can return to their hometowns to share their insights with their neighbors and business associates. This is the fourth meeting of former participants, designed to keep them up-to-date about developments with the Defense Department and "re-energize them" so they will continue to serve as ambassadors for the military in their communities, said Lt. Col. Chet Curtis, program director.

During the conference, group members traveled to Schriever Air Force Base, "the only all-space Air Force base,” said Col. Suzanne Vautrinot, 50th Space Wing commander.

At Schriever, the group received briefings on Air Force Space Command’s 50th Space Wing, which Colonel Vautrinot called "the best satellite fliers in the world," the 3rd Space Operations Squadron and the Space Warfare Center.

"Space is the ultimate high ground," said Maj. Lisa Bomberg, from AFSPC headquarters at nearby Peterson AFB. She explained the importance of space for military operations: communication, weather assessments, navigation, precision targeting, intelligence and battle-damage assessments.

At the 3rd Operations Squadron, the civilians listened to Airmen describe how they "fly" 13 defense satellites. The satellites provide the backbone of national military communications, providing secure voice and data transmissions for strategic and tactical forces worldwide, said Lt. Col. Keith Hinson, squadron commander.

The work is generally behind the scenes, out of the limelight, said Staff Sgt. Derrick Thompson, one of the squadron's satellite system operators.

"But if I can't do my job and see my satellites, ground troops won't have communication," he said. "So I feel that I'm doing a big part of the Air Force's mission here."

Group members took their seats at consoles in the NATO Skynet office, where squadron Airmen keep seven NATO satellites operational so they can provide dedicated military and diplomatic communications for the United States, NATO and the United Kingdom.

At the space warfare center, group members learned about efforts to "bring space to the fight" -- the center's motto -- by developing and testing concepts, equipment and procedures that maximize the use of space for military operations.

During briefings at Peterson AFB, the group learned about U.S. Northern Command, established in October 2002 to defend the American homeland and coordinate military support to civilian authorities. They also learned about North American Aerospace Defense Command which is charged with aerospace warning and control for North America.

At Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station, they toured the air warning center and industrial area, and watched U.S. and Canadian troops working side by side to monitor the sky for any sign of an attack against North America.

"We have one mission, one goal, one fight," said Maj. Dave Patterson, a public affairs officer. "And we're one team."

The air warning center's mission has expanded dramatically "and gotten far more complicated" since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Maj. Sara Karcha said. Now, besides focusing on external threats, NORAD monitors the U.S. sky with equal scrutiny, she said.

The civilian participants said they were impressed with what they saw.

"It's been one of the most informative trips I've ever been on," said Jennie Finman McIntosh, from her family's company in Mississippi.

Mort Rahimi, vice president of information technology at Northwestern University, said he was impressed with the military's transition from specialized to off-the-shelf hardware and software systems to carry out its mission. Not only does this save taxpayers money, Mr. Rahimi said, it also ensures more reliable and user-friendly systems.

But Mr. Rahimi, like other group members, said he was most impressed by the people behind these systems, charged with protecting the homeland.

Col. R. Kent Traylor, space warfare center vice commander, said he was hopeful that the visit would give the civilians a better understanding of the role of space in their lives and the importance of protecting it.

"I think it's really important for people to understand that we are increasingly dependent on space -- not only for military capabilities, but for civilian purposes, too," ranging from pagers to automated-teller machines to pay-at-the pump gas operations, Colonel Traylor said. "That way, they'll have a better appreciation of the need to protect what we have and to further advance our capabilities in space."