Space Force

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AFNS) --  The numbers are stark.  The latest data released by the Defense Department’s Defense Suicide Prevention Office reported 94 active-duty U.S. military personnel deaths suspected or confirmed by military services to be suicides during the first quarter of 2024.  The numbers among Air and Space Force personnel have risen 41% from 2021 to 2023.  Suicide prevention is a top military priority every day, but takes on even greater focus each September, designated since 2008 as National Suicide Prevention month. Research has found that military suicide rates are roughly the same or lower than in the U.S. population generally but remain a serious concern in military communities. Service members and th...

“Det. 4 is an all-star team of people who are leveraging the latest technology in global surveillance, partnering with allies and other intelligence agencies to constantly improve,” Miller said.Since its inception in 2019, the Space Force’s mission has evolved to ensure freedom of action and defend U.S. interests in space. Space capabilities have become an integral part of everyday life and a crucial component underpinning global security and economy.As the Space Force enters its fifth year to meet the demands of an era of Great Power Competition, the service is transitioning from a focus on establishment, to looking for continued opportunities to sharpen its training, tactics and procedures.“Guardians and Airmen stationed here provide a level of mission readiness nec...

El Segundo, Calif. (AFNS) --  How will the U.S. and its allies conduct operations in space to support terrestrial objectives in an ever-increasing environment of space congestion infiltrating all orbits around the earth? Or, more clearly – How is the U.S. deterring and defending against adversaries today and into the future?  This is precisely the question that Schriever Wargame 2025 seeks answer in its 17th iteration, scheduled to take place next year.  Originally established in 1998, the Schriever Wargame exercises have grown in sophistication to reflect emerging technologies. Today, they are designed to explore critical space issues, identify solutions to anticipated challenges, and advance space support within air, land, sea,...

PETERSON SPACE FORCE BASE, Colo. (AFNS) --  U.S. Space Command celebrated its fifth anniversary Aug. 29 and commemorated the milestone with discussions of the 11th combatant command’s achievements and goals for the future.In a special edition of the Mitchell Institute’s Schriever Spacepower Series held in Colorado Springs, Aug. 28, USSPACECOM senior leaders participated in a panel on the organization’s growth since its establishment in 2019.To kick off the live webinar, Gen. Stephen Whiting, USSPACECOM commander, remarked on the organization’s transformation into a fully operationally capable headquarters.“While there’s a lot left to do – and part of the last five years was really figuring out what we all have to do collectively to defend our interests...

ARLINGTON, Va. (AFNS) --  Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall conducted a trip to strengthen international partnerships and visit Airmen and Guardians supporting NATO objectives in the U.S. European Command area of responsibility from Aug. 19 – 25, 2024.The trip consisted of engagements with senior leaders in Belgium, Sweden, Lithuania, Latvia, Finland, Estonia and Poland to reinforce the indispensable alliances that ensure security in the region. At his first stop in Belgium, Secretary Kendall focused on DAF priorities for the NATO alliance, including capitalizing on space as an operational dom...