PETERSON SPACE FORCE BASE, Colo. -- On this edition of Down to Earth, we’re checking in with Space Delta 2 – Space Domain Awareness and Space Battle Management, to meet U.S. Space Force Tech. Sgt. Peter Lee, DEL 2 Detachment 1, flight chief of operations.
Lee was born and raised in Fresno, California and enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in January 2007. He believes he didn’t choose to join the military -- the military chose him.
“The thought of serving in the military never crossed my mind,” Lee said. “[One day] I received a cold call from an Air Force recruiter. To get the recruiter off the phone, I agreed to meet up with him that evening without any intentions to do so. I stayed up late the night before and slept late into the afternoon. When I finally woke up, I reflected on the fact that I had nothing better to do, so I made good on my word and met up with the recruiter. The rest was history... sort of.”
Lee’s journey into the Air Force was nontraditional, but heavily impacted his outlook on what he wanted to make of his life.
“I signed on the dotted line for 2T3X1, mission generation vehicular equipment maintenance, aka a mechanic,” Lee stated. “A few weeks before shipping out to Basic Training, I was arrested for stealing a vehicle which resulted in felony charges.”
Lee was 17 at the time and was able to agree to a program that would downgrade the felony charges to a misdemeanor in exchange for a year of probation and six months of house arrest. After completing the program, Lee immediately went to reapply to the Air Force, but was placed on a one-year probation by the recruiter before he could.
“During that one-year probation from the Air Force, I maintained two jobs and went to college full-time,” Lee remarked. “It made me realize I could be doing much more in life rather than making minimum wage and going to college when my heart wasn't in it.”
Finally, after that one-year probation, Lee reapplied and joined the Air Force that he was so motivated to serve.
Lee is currently the flight chief of operations with DEL 2 Detachment 1, working with the National Space Defense Center at Schriever Space Force Base.
“As a tactical space battle manager working with the NSDC, my team exploits opportunities to secure our Nation's interests in, from, and to space by identifying hostile actions and entities, conducting combat identification, targeting, and directing actions in response to an evolving threat environment.”
His pivotal role within DEL 2 naturally requires strong leadership on a daily basis. Lee shared how this wasn’t always the easiest for him, but he found a way to work through that challenge.
“As an introvert, I always shied away from interacting with people, let alone leading them,” Lee said. “I mimicked numerous leadership styles and traits, but it never resonated with me. Once I mustered up the courage to be my genuine self, my journey of self-discovery and growth finally started. However, the fear of leading was something I couldn’t overcome until my perspective changed from 'how do I lead’ to ‘how can I serve.’ The rest just fell in place.”
His time in the Space Force has been full of memories he will cherish for the rest of his life, though one stands out among the rest.
“A member of our detachment had a death in the family. We were invited to participate in a memorial 5K run, and I requested our First Sergeant ask if I could print a sign to honor the deceased member.”
This prompted a classic game of telephone; eventually their First Sergeant came up with the idea to make shirts for the run. The family loved the idea, and Lee isn’t one to disappoint, so he got to work to ensure the shirts were made in time.
“I dusted off the Cricut machine that I bought for my wife five years ago and watched a handful of YouTube videos on how to make shirts for the first time,” Lee stated. “I stayed up till 3 a.m. the morning of the run and was ultimately relieved that the shirts were well received. With such heavy news, I felt it was fitting to run the 5K with a 55-pound ruck.”
This instance of ‘service before self’ exemplifies how Lee approaches life.
“Be a good person, be good at your job, and take care of those around you. The military is just a chapter in life, not life itself.”
Now in the latter half of his career, Lee has a lot to be proud of. Lee shared he is thrilled to be able to still recognize the person looking back at him in the mirror, even while being more mature than when he first joined.
“Early in my career, I thought I had to sell a part of my soul to be successful in the military,” Lee mentioned. “I’ve witnessed others lose themselves as they try to climb the ranks, only to be miserable when they reach the top. I’m blessed to have received a second chance to serve and am happy to give back with the remainder of my military career.”
Lee believes that balancing what’s important to you at work as well as outside of work is crucial to having a career with longevity and success. Outside of work, Lee enjoys a multitude of activities, with one common similarity. He invests his time in any and all things that end up creating memories with his family and raising his kids to be contributing members of society.
Looking toward the future, his advice for future generations is, “Don't get caught up in the rat race of competing against others for title, status, money, power, etc. Do, however, continue to grow as an individual by challenging yourself and find your purpose in life.”
Space Delta 2 (DEL 2) leads the operational Space Domain Awareness mission on behalf of the U.S. Space Force and uses the Space Battle Management warfighting discipline to identify, characterize, and exploit opportunities and mitigate vulnerabilities in the national security space terrain. DEL 2 operates and supports 14 weapons systems, including coalition and Interagency systems in partnership with the Australian Defence Space Command and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
For more information on DEL 2, visit: Space Delta 2 (spaceforce.mil)