VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE, Calif. -- U.S. Space Forces-Space opened its doors to a group of U.S. Space Force Congressional Staff Fellows here, Aug. 27, highlighting the organization’s mission and its role in maintaining space superiority and delivering global space-enabled effects.
The eight fellow's visit featured briefings on the mission, plans and operations of S4S.
“Winning in space starts here,” said U.S. Army Col. Michael Smith, deputy combined joint force space component commander. “S4S, with its allies and partners, continues to maintain an asymmetric advantage in our warfighting domain.”
The USSF House and Senate Staff Fellowship was established in 2023 as an educational program for congressional staff members. The fellowship program provides participants with both an academic understanding, and practical view of the military space enterprise and its challenges in the current global environment. The staff fellows play a key role in advocating for the importance of space and S4S’ warfighting mission.
During the visit, the fellows saw how collaboration is at the heart of the S4S mission. Whether working with industry partners or multinational forces, partnerships are critical to space dominance.
“We’re excited for the future of multinational operations,” said Smith. “Every day our Guardians conduct operations in the space domain with our allies to preserve peace.”
This level of integration is essential to achieving and maintaining space superiority. With partnerships geared towards burden-sharing at the forefront, S4S is building a stronger framework to support future operations while continuously gathering information and feedback to best support the joint warfighter.
“We need to have the right authorities and the right resources to operate in the space domain,” said Smith. “Congress shapes the security and defense policies we operate in every day. Showcasing our mission helps us break down barriers and increase decision maker effectiveness.”