VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE, Calif. –
Fostering the next generation of scientists, engineers, and space operators, enlisted leaders from U.S. Space Forces – Space (S4S) volunteered their time to lead interactive stations at the inaugural Crestview Elementary STEM Olympics on Vandenberg SFB Feb. 26.
Master Sgt. Vincent K. Spahr, S4S first sergeant, and Master Sgt. Joseph Sarnacki, senior enlisted advisor for the S4S S23 intelligence directorate, joined local educators and community leaders to plan, organize, and run hands-on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) activities for students ranging from transitional kindergarten to sixth grade.
As a first sergeant, Spahr plays a vital role in maintaining the health, morale, and readiness of S4S personnel, ensuring warfighters are fully prepared to execute their high-stakes mission every day. Similarly, as a senior enlisted advisor for intelligence, Sarnacki ensures the command's analysts maintain the sharpest threat assessments and domain awareness needed to outpace adversaries.
Taking these leadership and mentorship skills into the classroom, their volunteer effort directly aligns with the S4S strategic mission to "Connect,” a mandate that extends beyond integrating with global Allies and partners to building strong, foundational relationships within the local community.
“Answering the nation's call is more than deployments and sitting on console,” said Spahr. “We need to be stewards of the community and invest in the next generation. Today, we did just that by guiding these students in competitive and collaborative STEM activities.”
For S4S, the connection between a local elementary school event and global military operations is direct. As the operational warfighting headquarters for the space domain, S4S depends on advanced STEM capabilities to execute its daily mission. The foundational skills tested at the Crestview STEM Olympics—critical thinking, mathematics, and engineering—are the exact principles utilized by space operators to Deliver critical space effects, such as GPS, missile warning, and secure communications, to the Joint Force.
“It all starts here in the classroom,” Sarnacki said. “On the surface, it might look like fun and games, but the critical thinking skills these students are using is the foundational building blocks of intelligence analysis. To understand and analyze complex threats in space, we need sharp, analytical minds. Whether they are building Alka-Seltzer rockets today or analyzing satellite data in 15 years, the core problem-solving process is the same”.
Throughout the event, Spahr and Sarnacki guided students through a hands-on pressure-propelled rocket experiment and exploring the physics of staging, payloads, and propulsion. Using cardboard tubes and construction paper, the students engineered their own miniature rockets before mounting them onto canisters fueled by a reactive mixture of water and effervescent tablets. The senior noncommissioned officers led interactive discussions on aerodynamics, exploring the critical relationship between a rocket's form and its function. Following each launch, they challenged the young innovators to evaluate their designs and hypothesize structural improvements for future iterations. By assisting the classes with the builds and explaining the underlying physics of propulsion, Spahr and Sarnacki successfully bridged the gap between basic classroom theories and the real-world engineering required to reach the space domain.
The first annual Crestview STEM Olympics concluded with cheering countdowns and excitement, leaving a lasting impression on the young learners and reinforcing the Space Force's commitment to community engagement and future readiness.