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https://www.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3911053/
STARCOM: Development, connection, family readiness key to tomorrow’s Space Force
Sept. 19, 2024
At this week's annual Air, Space and Cyber Conference, sponsored by the Air and Space Forces Association, the command responsible for training and readiness in the U.S. Space Force emphasized Guardian development, connection and family readiness across three key panel discussions.
Brig. Gen. Matthew Cantore, deputy commander of Space Training and Readiness Command, discussed the importance of developing a skilled, adaptable workforce for the U.S. Space Force, highlighting the integration of officers, enlisted, and civilians into a cohesive Guardian family.
One important start to this new initiative is the beginning of the Space Force’s Officer Training Course, which commenced training earlier this month at Peterson Space Force Base.
“We are in the midst of a new start,” Cantore said about the new course for all new Space Force Officers.
“Previously, we would have had separate tracks for space operations, intelligence operations and cyber operations.
Now, as we go forward, we realize that for great power competition, we want to re-baseline and reset what the experience is for all Guardian officers moving forward. As we look to the future and work to establish our culture, we want to have a culture where operations and warfighting is at the core of everything we do.”
Chief Master Sgt. Karmann-Monique Pogue, senior enlisted leader for STARCOM, joined Cantore on the panel and noted that as the enlisted corps grows in rank, responsibilities shift, necessitating a balance between the roles of technical specialists with the roles of leadership and advising senior leaders. Pogue cited the start of Space Force-specific Enlisted Professional Military Education earlier this year at the Vosler Academy at Peterson SFB as another key to the transformation of the Force.
“We have reshaped the experience for our enlisted NCOs and senior NCOs,” Pogue said. “Vosler stood down for about five months to reshape the curriculum, the training, and the experience that our enlisted Guardians are going to be challenged with.
We have to better prepare our enlisted force to not only be technically competent, but to be operationally and strategically relevant as well.”
Cantore and Pogue said that more would be rolled out in the coming months regarding initiatives for civilians and junior enlisted Guardians.
Col. Charlie Norsky, commander of STARCOM’s Space Delta 1, told a separate panel audience focused on family readiness for great power competition that integrating Guardian families goes beyond just understanding the Space Force or unit mission.
“Family readiness is mission readiness,” Norsky said. “We can’t do what we do on the mission side without making sure that we have our families not just on board or understanding, but truly as part of the team.”
Norsky elaborated on closer integration of families within units, taking steps to develop a local initiative that further develops family members.
“We want to formalize this so it’s not just pointing a family member or spouse toward a resource and say ‘go over there for this information,’” Norsky said.
“It’s… come over here, let’s talk about this, let’s work through this together, let us grow. And so this spouse development initiative is something that I think we’re really excited about being able to roll out.”
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Jessica Norsky, Key Support Liaison Mentor for STARCOM’s Delta 1, said that a service tradition that epitomizes the culture of connection is a family pinning ceremony during basic military training graduation at a third panel discussing United Forces and Families: Shaping the Guardian Experience.
“They say the little things don’t mean anything. They mean everything,” Norsky said.
“We start by acknowledging the fact that family support has been crucial to get their service member to this point, and that they will continue to play a role.
The pin may appear to be a small gesture, but it represents the ongoing building of the service’s culture and connection.
“It’s a wonderful thing,” Norsky said. “We all have this invitation to inspire real change and to create this Guardian experience.
We look at how we combine service members, spouses, and community partners into working together to do this good, to benefit all of our service.”
Building a Guardian culture was one point stressed by all STARCOM leaders throughout the three separate panels.
“The folks that are coming in today are going to be the squadron commanders in 15 years, they are going to be the SELs of our combat detachments and our combat squadrons that will be warfighting in 15 years.
Our civilians now that come in will be the senior future SES or NH force of the service, leading and directing activities for the service,” Cantore said.
“Every member of the Space Force is going to be a warfighter first.”
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Secretary Kendall voices concerns to Congress about CR
Sept. 19, 2024
Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall, in a Sept. 18 letter to congressional leaders, itemized the significant challenges a continuing resolution of any length would pose to the Air Force and Space Force.
“A CR of any length impacts DAF readiness, hinders acceleration of the Space Force, delays military construction projects, reduces aircraft availability, and curbs modernization in our race for technological superiority,” Kendall said in his letter to the chairs and ranking members of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees.
“A CR also sets us back in meeting the pacing challenge presented by the People's Republic of China, which continues to invest heavily in capabilities designed to prevent the United States and its allies from projecting power in the Western Pacific,” the letter said.
The two-page letter offers specifics under the headings, Impacts to Personnel & Readiness, Impacts to Modernization, and Impacts to MILCON.
In those sections, Kendall said a temporary spending plan which in Congress is called a “continuing resolution,” degrades the Department’s efforts to improve housing, provide basic pay, meet recruiting goals and retain personnel.
The letter outlines how a CR would prevent the Department from spurring production increases for munition stockpiles and impede development of the B-21 bomber and modernizing the land-based nuclear deterrent, among other impacts to include halting Space Force development on launch and range test system software.
Kendall told the lawmakers that he is especially worried about the impact of a long-term CR.
“In the event of a year-long CR, four Air Force Operational Imperative initiatives would also experience delays, hindering the DAF's ability to close key capability gaps, accelerate development, and assure U.S. advantage against pacing challenges …,” he said.
Despite the concerns, Kendall said the Department was ready to work with Congress on completing work on a full and new budget for fiscal year 2025.
That fiscal year begins Oct. 1. “The DAF greatly values our partnership with Congress and appreciates your commitment to our Airmen and Guardians,” Kendall said.
https://www.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3911490/
https://www.af.mil/Portals/1/documents/2024SAF/SecAFLetters/Kendall_CR_Letters_-_18_Sept_2024.pdf
UFO Sighting Over Tampa Was Creative Marketing Campaign
September 19th 9:37 AM
You weren’t the only one that was fooled by a UFO sighting over downtown Tampa a few days ago.
We really thought aliens were flying in the sky above Bayshore and Davis Island for everyone to see.
The videos instantly went viral and had everyone in Tampa Bay taking about the floating triangle that was floating in the sky.
Come to find out, it was all a creative marketing campaign by OneOfUsEvents.
UFO Sighting Over Tampa Was Fun Marketing Campaign:
After seeing all the videos of the UFO sighting in Tampa it went super viral.
However, aliens did not visit Tampa Bay and instead it turns out a local event company that specializes in curating immersive experiences said it was all part of their marketing plan.
The owner of One Of Us Events wanted to create a lot of buzz for their 4th annual Halloween party ‘Moonlanding.’
The company created AI Generated UFO videos to appear all over Tampa to entertain everyone and get people talking about their Halloween party.
It did the job because they were able to reach1 million impressions.
It went viral and spread across multiple social media platforms hitting the mark on the topical issue of aliens invading the Tampa Bay area.
They describe their big party as, “Moonlanding is traveling through time and space to a brand-new destination!
This year, we’re making our way back to Tampa, landing at The Motor Enclave a truly unique venue that’s never hosted an event of this scale!
Prepare to step into a world beyond imagination, with both indoor and outdoor experiences featuring 30+ vendors, artists, and food trucks.”
With 37,000 sq ft of event space and multiple rooms, The Motor Enclave offers the perfect backdrop for our cosmic celebration.”
https://wild941.com/2024/09/19/ufo-sighting-tampa-was-marketing-campaign/
https://get-in.com/en/MOONLANDING24