AFSPC Airmen round half of-manner factor

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. — To combat growing threats within the space area, the Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Directorate at Headquarters, Air Force Space Command, and the Space Security and Defense Program established the Space Intelligence Intern Program in July 2018. The 24-month application is designed to enhance the gap foundational intelligence base for candidates to achieve future space intelligence management roles.

AFSPC Airmen

In its inaugural 12 months, SIIP is developing two junior officials – Capt. Devin Hightower and 1st Lt. Rebecca Bosworth – in SSDP’s threat division.

When requested about the importance of in-depth space understanding for intelligence officials, Lt. Gen. VeraLinn “Dash” Jamieson, deputy chief of staff for ISR and Cyber Effects Operations at Headquarters, U.S. Air Force, and proposal for the program, highlighted the possibility that SIIP would offer to Airmen.

“ISR for and from space will be the vital element to correctly conduct joint operations within the contested area,” said Jamieson. “The Space Intelligence Intern Program is an effort that ensures the Air Force ISR Enterprise has a professionalized space intelligence cadre intending to excel in future space operations.”

Both officers in the internship program are working on real international, experiential tasks concerning area threats, trends, and how they affect U.S. Space belongings.

“SSDP gives young intelligence officers the possibility to work aspect-by means of facet with engineers, analysts, operators, and senior intel experts on a number of the maximum challenging threats to the countrywide security area,” stated Col. Anthony Mastalir, SSDP deputy director.

Before SIIP, Hightower became the fiftieth Space Wing Operations Support Squadron leader of operations intelligence. Bosworth became a fashionable intelligence analyst and the command intelligence briefer at HQ, AFSPC.

As applicants for the internship, both Hightower and Bosworth went through a nomination procedure, followed by a board interview made up of ISR and SSDP experts to gauge how well the applicants might be healthy in the new program and culture of SSDP.

“You have a good way to stand on your own and not await any individual to tell you what to do. It’s a leap-in-with-both-toes type of atmosphere and very technical,” said Col. Suzy Streeter, director of ISR at HQ, AFSPC. “We are looking for people with a STEM history and enjoyment. It’s no longer mandatory, but it is fee-added.”

Recruiting for this system in 2019 stays available to junior intelligence officers stationed in Colorado Springs as SIIP works via formalization. Two new interns might be introduced to the program every 12 months, and the program might be formed by using comments from graduating individuals. The ISR office plans to open the internship opportunity to all Air Force intelligence officers inside the area business enterprise in 2020.

Interns who complete SIIP might be located into a follow-on position within AFSPC or the space business enterprise to practice their space intelligence information and develop their leadership competencies.

“An internship like this helps create the inspiration so that anyone can use their deep historical past and newfound space intelligence operationally as challenge count number professionals,” stated Streeter. “This is a part of us attending to the next degree of expertise in the domain and how we follow our expertise to operations.”

Ensuring that navy operations in space and using air, land, and sea are organized and supported via the intelligence network is critical to undertaking achievement. The work, the SIIP interns, are concerned with targets to hold, improve and formalize the understanding and facts that space operators need to ensure area superiority and combat and win in a battle ought to extend to the area.

“The area domain is evolving,” said Hightower. “We want to construct that intelligence knowledge, so we will ensure our Airmen and joint partners are getting the support they need. We’re developing applications and procedures to effectively assist operations through this internship program.”

The software highlights the Air Force’s prioritization of developing younger officials for future space operations.

“The Air Force has historically been targeted by on-air threats,” stated Bosworth. “Fast ahead to 2019 – it’s a new Air Force; this is extraordinarily focused on new technologies. It’s transferring right away, and that’s why they commenced this software.”

The intelligence community must offer specific solutions to new demanding situations because of the gap area’s short-paced nature and its converting surroundings.

“Things are changing, humans are building things never constructed before, methods are converting, and the environment right now could be very lots targeted on innovation and hassle-solving,” stated Hightower. “We have the opportunity to convey top ideas to fruition.”

The modern-day interns inspire fellow intelligence officers to use and train along SSDP and work on experiential tasks for space.

“Go for it!” said Bosworth. “I encourage absolutely everyone to return here. You want to return to this area if you’re doing any intelligence work in space. Coming here to spend a few years and learning from the group could be very precious.”