State of the wing address

Published Oct. 11, 2017
By Steve Kotecki
21st Space Wing Public Affairs

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- Col. Todd Moore, 21st Space Wing commander, told a gathering of about 80 community leaders that he is confident about the condition of the wing, during the State of the Wing address Oct. 4, 2017 at the Club on Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado.

“The state of the wing is strong,” he said. “The reason why this wing is strong is by virtue of the leadership team I have surrounding me… I have an absolutely phenomenal team.”

The wing spans 22 separate locations and 13 time zones in 11 different countries.

“As you can imagine, that means a lot of late nights and a lot of travel to make sure we are getting out to those places tending to our missions as they stand,” said Moore.

Airmen of the 21st SW manage 15 weapons systems of varying ages, sizes and capabilities, requiring a great deal of time and effort to operate, and maintain successfully.

“In terms of upgrading the systems we have, in terms of bringing new systems online, we are never bored,” Moore said.

The wing executes three primary, diverse mission sets, he explained. The first is missile warning/missile defense; the second is space situational awareness; and the third is space control.

Missile warning is the defense of North America against attack. As conditions have changed, allowing different entities the ability to attack America, the role of the wing expanded in the ability to perform missile defense.

The mission used to be understanding what’s going on in space, but is undergoing a transformation, Moore said. Viewing space used to be done with the main objective of updating the (satellite) catalog to provide information about where objects are located in the earth’s orbit. Now the role has taken on a new significance.

“We are having to make a big jump intellectually and also from a capability (position),” said Moore. “It is no longer OK just to update a catalog. We now have the obligation to understand what is actually happening and not just report on it.”

Space control allows the 21st SW to present national leaders, decision makers and joint warfighters with options in order to deal with threats that would compromise joint capabilities in space, said Moore.

The wing has an economic impact of $1.27 billion and supports about 41,000 people including personnel, retirees and dependents.

“Ultimately the mission of the 21st SW revolves around defending the homeland and about enabling space combat operations,” he said. “And the way that we are going to do that is we’re going to employ and assert space superiority through disciplined, aggressive and creative Airmen.”

By being aggressive, Moore said he is not talking about being violent, but rather being Airmen who do not take no for an answer, are tenacious and demonstrate courage.

“(Airmen) who get after the hard problems without being afraid of the solution,” said Moore. “We need more and more of these airmen.”

One of the primary focuses for the 21st SW is taking care of Airmen and their families. That care needs to really meet the needs of the Airmen. His team is focused on setting them up for success, providing resources, time and space needed to be the Airmen the nation needs.

“We are in a tenuous environment,” he continued. “I have an absolute obligation to make sure my Airmen are ready for whatever comes.”

Promoting a culture of dignity and respect is another priority for the wing. Inappropriate behavior has no place and will not be tolerated.

“Presenting that kind of environment for our Airmen is what’s going to allow them to thrive,” Moore said. “We draw a very, very hard line on that. We need America’s best and we need America’s best serving, because that is what’s going to allow us to execute our mission.”

Growing Airmen who are space-minded is important to an Air and Space Force. Moore said attracting and training Airmen who understand space warfighting is critical for a future where space is a battlefield domain.

“We are the eyes and the ears that defend the homeland,” said Moore. “Deterrence begins with the ability to see and detect and understand what an adversary might be doing to threaten North America. It is a privilege to be a part of that homeland defense… it is a privilege to be the commander of the 21st SW.”