PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- He didn’t know he would be a part of history as one of the first Space Force Guardians to go on deployment, but as it often happens, life shook things up, sending U.S. Space Force Spc. 3 Jason Miller, Space Delta 3 – Space Electronic Warfare, 16th Space Control Squadron space console operator, down a groundbreaking path.
The trend continued when Miller was accepted to become a cadet at the U.S. Air Force Academy.
Hailing from Cloverdale, Indiana, a small town outside of Indianapolis, Miller began talking to his local recruiter with the intentions of becoming an air traffic controller. Due to long wait times for an air traffic control job to open up, the recruiter suggested taking a job as a 1C6 Space Systems Operator, describing it as an air traffic controller for space vehicles. Miller took advantage of the opportunity and enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in January 2019.
Following basic military training and technical training, Miller joined the 16th SPCS working a vital job in support of the DEL 3 mission.
“My job entails monitoring and reporting on blue signals such as Remotely Piloted Aircraft, non-secure military terminals and any other signal assets in deployed locations,” said Miller.
Miller was able to put those skills to use while deployed to U.S. Central Command area of responsibility in support of Operation Freedom Sentinel and Operation Inherent Resolve, from July 2020 to February 2021.
Miller’s commander, U.S. Space Force Lt. Col. Angelo Fernandez, praised Miller’s work ethic and accomplishments during his deployment.
“While deployed to the Middle East, Specialist Miller thrived in a high tempo operations environment and, with his crew, ended up tackling the largest wave of non-kinetic warfare activity our unit has seen in over 15 years of continuous deployments,” said Fernandez.
In September 2020 Miller officially transitioned to the USSF, becoming one of the first Guardians to operate in a deployed environment.
Miller saw first-hand the exciting paths a career in the military could provide and began seeking mentorship on how to achieve his goals.
“Within my first year I knew I wanted to make a career in the military and after talking to all my mentors almost all said commissioning is a great opportunity,” said Miller. “While deployed, I found out my deployment commander was an academy liaison officer, and he showed me the steps to apply.”
Miller’s hard work paid off with his acceptance to the U.S. Air Force Academy. He said he is looking forward to the leadership experiences and friendships the academy will provide.
“I’m lucky to have many academy graduates in my squadron giving me pointers and telling me what to expect before I start life there at the academy,” said Miller.
According to Fernandez, Miller is a dedicated and technically skilled Guardian and shows excellent leadership abilities.
“Specialist 3 Miller consistently finds ways to elevate the performance of team members around him,” Fernandez said. “His demonstrated leadership and weapon system expertise make him a clear nomination to continue serving our nation as an officer.”