VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE, Calif. –
U.S. Space Force Chief Master Sgt. Tina R. Timmerman, U.S. Space Forces – Space command senior enlisted leader, provided opening remarks for the 533rd Training Squadron graduation ceremony at Vandenberg Space Base, California, Dec. 2, 2025.
As a fellow graduate of the 533rd TRS, Chief Timmerman emphasized the defining transition from student to operational Guardian in her speech to the 70 graduates and underlined the imperative timing of that changeover for the new generation of enlisted Space Operators.
“When I look at you, I see the future of our service. I see the women and men who will watch over our Nation’s most vital assets, the Guardians who will execute missions that no one else in the world can… Your timing couldn’t be better. You are stepping into the Space Force at a time when the world is watching, when the demand for excellence is high, and when the mission could not be more critical.”
Chief Timmerman concluded her speech by challenging the graduates to three orders.
Own Your Craft – become the expert others rely on.
Build Trust – be the teammate who strengthens the crew.
Commit Fully to the Mission – because what you do matters.
“Your commitment to the mission, your discipline, your excellence, your Guardian Spirit… all of this is what will keep our Nation safe. Be the reason our adversaries say ‘Today is not the day.’”
The 533rd TRS heritage dates back to WWII as the 533rd Bombardment Squadron and went through many iterations before being redesignated and activated as the 533rd TRS on Oct. 1, 1994, at Vandenberg SFB, where it trains approximately 400 space professionals a year in both an officer and enlisted course. Now assigned under Space Training and Readiness Command since 2021, the training squadron provides a 22-week, three-part course referred to as the Gateway Training Program that covers space fundamentals, cyber tactics, and space asset capabilities, limitations, and vulnerabilities.