Missile warning course graduates second class Published April 16, 2007 By Capt. Doug Roning National Security Space Institute PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- Seven Missile Warning/Missile Defense experts recently earned graduation certificates from the National Security Space Institute's Missile Warning and Defense Advanced Course. Lt. Col. Michael Willis; 100th Missile Defense Brigade; Maj. John Maser, 8th Space Warning Squadron; Capt. Andrew Wallace, 6th SWS; Capt. Eric Neubert, 460th Operations Group; Capt. Shane Sandstrom, 10th SWS; 2nd Lt. Sara Harrison, 460th Operations Support Squadron; and Tech. Sgt. Christopher Terrio, 6th SWS, completed the challenging, eight-week Missile Warning and Defense Advanced Course. The students were competitively selected from an applicant pool of active duty and reserve servicemen and women, government employees and civilian specialists. All applicants must have a background in missile warning, satellite/ground operations, systems acquisitions, maintenance, or operational-level planning. The course provides 320 academic hours of in-depth education on missile warning and defense with an emphasis on space-based warning assets. Topics include sensor physics, enemy threat systems, warning architectures, air-, land-, sea-, and space-based sensors, missile warning and missile defense operations centers, and missile warning tactics, techniques and procedures. When students graduate from this course they are recognized as some of the most knowledgeable in the career field. These graduates will be looked upon as the go-to person for advanced understanding of the missile warning and defense mission area. This is a highly selective course and the graduates become a part of an elite group, trained specifically in missile warning and defense. The Missile Warning and Defense Advanced Course 07A graduates' accomplishments meet an addressed need for "more depth of experience in their field and more extensive education and training" identified in the 2001 Space Commission Report. For information about the course, or to apply for class 07B starting in May, contact Capt. Doug Roning at (719)593-8794, ext. 274. NSSI is the Department of Defense's single focal point for space education and training, complementing existing space education programs at Air University, the Naval Postgraduate School and the Air Force Institute of Technology.