Space operators essential to the war fight

Published May 14, 2008
By Corey Dahl
21st Space Wing Public Affairs

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- Airmen in space missions might be thousands of miles from an actual war zone, but their work is still crucial to the ongoing fight, according to Lt. Col. Chance Saltzman.

Speaking at the Guardian Challenge Space and Missile Forum May 9, Colonel Saltzman, 614th Air and Space Operations Center chief of combat operations, stressed the importance of space effects to operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.

"If I could think of one word space operations bring to the war fight, it's 'Confidence,'" the lieutenant colonel said. "It's the space operators who take care of the unknowns, so commanders can have confidence out there."

Space effects help commanders reduce unknowns and eliminate variables in the war zone by helping with everything from weather forecasts to missile warning, Colonel Saltzman said. Satellite communications allow commanders in the field to consult with experts far from the area of operation, and GPS-aided munitions are helping units hit their targets more accurately.

Even longer term space operations, such as satellite-based intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance programs, are improving the military's ability to keep an eye on adversaries and prepare for potential new threats, Colonel Saltzman said.

"We're taking some of the variables out of the equation," he said. "It's about cutting down the number of unknowns."

Colonel Saltzman cited the February 2008 satellite shoot down as a good example of space operators at work. Though the Navy shot down the 5,000-pound, malfunctioning satellite that was headed for Earth, Air Force space operators played an important role in helping target the satellite and track its debris.

A space operator's job might not be very glamorous, but, Colonel Saltzman said, it's a job that's critical to America's defense. Space operators, he said, are providing vital information as well as the confidence needed to put it to use.

"Yes, we provide data, GPS, satellite communications; but you're also providing, with your expertise, the confidence to undertake complicated missions," he told the audience. "And that's pretty important."