AWC’s first visit to SSC

Published Oct. 13, 2021
By Staff Sgt. Andrew Moore

LOS ANGELES AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Space Systems Command welcomed students from the Air War College’s West Space Seminar, Oct. 7, 2021.

Located at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., the AWC’s West Space Seminar is a 10 month program that educates senior military and civilian personnel to serve as critical and strategic thinkers who will serve as national security leaders.

The visit from the AWC cohort marks its first visit to SSC since the field command was established on Aug. 13, 2021.

“The group of students at the West Space Seminar come from diverse backgrounds,” Lt. Col. Kirk Johnson, Director, West Space Seminar, AWC. “The purpose of these field-study visits are to expose these future senior leaders, from various backgrounds, to the diverse mission sets and problems that people are working on,” Johnson said.

During their visit, students were immersed in briefings from various SSC programs and organizations that will prepare the students to lead at strategic levels across a diverse range of military and joint operations, interagency, and multinational environments.

“Being on-site at SSC enables us to immediately apply our tactical and operational experiences, along with academic references, to what is being produced and delivered to the field,” Roz Barbee, student at the West Space Seminar, AWC and Senior Acquisition Logistician, Product Support Manager and Branch Chief, Logistics and Engineering, Launch Enterprise, SSC, said.

Furthermore, Barbee notes the strategic impact site visits to field commands, like SSC, will have on future senior leaders in the space domain.

“As more space-faring nation-states enter the space domain, it’s critical that all senior leaders, civilians and military alike, participate in academic programs that encourage and promote diversity of thought,” Barbee stated. “For the space domain, it’s critical for all space operations to actively support this academic program through document reviews, partnering, visitations as well as providing accurate situational awareness and updates for relevant discussions.”

Johnson concluded by reaffirming the importance of visiting SSC and how future visits will continue to help shape the next generation of Air and Space Force senior leadership.

“The main goal is to broaden the student’s perspectives,” Johnson said. “They get to hear from senior leaders, junior employees and contractors to better understand the nature of the problems being addressed.”