Secretary of the Air Force visits SMDC

By Jason B. Cutshaw, USASMDC/ARSTRAT Public AffairsSeptember 14, 2015

Secretary of the Air Force visits SMDC
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James is briefed at the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command's Concepts Analysis Laboratory during her visit to the command's Redstone Arsenal, Ala., headquarters, Sept. 11. ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Secretary of the Air Force visits SMDC
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James greets young engineers assigned to the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command's Concepts Analysis Laboratory, or CAL, during her visit to the command's Redstone Arsenal, ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

REDSTONE ARSENAL, Alabama -- Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James visited leaders at the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command where she was introduced to the command's mission as well as its technology capabilities to provide space and missile defense forces to the Warfighter.

James who has served as the Secretary of the Air Force for almost two years, visited here Sept. 11. It was the first visit by an Air Force Secretary since 1957.

"I have been very impressed with what I have seen today at SMDC, from a technology standpoint, an operational standpoint and, most importantly, from a people standpoint," James said. "I am very impressed with the Soldiers and civilians I have met today and their important contributions."

As the Department of Defense Executive Agent for Space, James said the intent of her visit was to learn about the Army's space contribution.

"My job as the executive agent is to look across our space enterprise and identify any gaps in capabilities, gaps in budgeting, and make sure that I am giving the best recommendations possible to senior leadership because space is so very important to us these days."

Lt. Gen. David L. Mann, USASMDC/ARSTRAT commanding general, briefed James on the command's missions and how SMDC's Technical Center and Future Warfare Center coordinate and develop current and future technologies.

"We have a very close connection with the Air Force, and I want to brag about our command," he said. "A lot of folks don't understand what equities that we have in space, so it is great that you are here."

James discussed her vision for the Army and the Air Force working together.

"We are already working very closely together, and my vision is to do even more of it in the future," James said. "We have to, as a country and as a joint military, get our heads around how we would fight through a war that started on earth, but bled into space. So we need to have tighter coordination, and we need to have tactics, techniques and procedures and concepts of operations about how we would do that in the future."

She spoke about how the space domain is rapidly changing.

"Something new on our horizon is the Joint Interagency Combined Space Operations Center. This program will stand up Oct. 1 and we will do it in a joint fashion across the services. It is designed to allow us to do some experimentation and, over time, some training, all with goal of getting our heads around how we would operate differently in space, particularly if we come under attack in some fashion."

During her visit, James visited the Concepts Analysis Laboratory, or CAL, where she learned how the command trains college students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, disciplines and newly hired engineers and scientists, some of whom began through the Science, Mathematics and Research for Transformation, or SMART, program.

"I had a chance to meet with some great young people who came to the Army via the SMART program in the technology arena," James said. "I felt proud to be part of our military with them, and I told them I thought this was a fantastic way to start."

James toured the FWC's Joint Air Defense Operations Center-Developmental to see what the command does to support and protect the National Capital Region. She received a Space Kit overview and demonstration by Col. Rick Zellmann and Sgt. 1st Class Paul Glenn, both from the SMDC G-31 Training and Exercise Division.

She also received a briefing at the Reagan Operations Center -- Huntsville, or ROC-H, that controls the Reagan Test Site located at U.S. Army Garrison-Kwajalein Atoll in the Republic of the Marshall Islands and learned about its mission of monitoring space and missile operations. James was briefed on the myriad ways the facility communicates to provide up-to-date information for the nation's space warriors.

Before leaving, James shared her appreciation for what the Soldiers and civilians of SMDC do for the defense of the nation.

"I would just like to thank all of SMDC for their service," James said. "Whether you are active duty, National Guard, Reserve, civilian, contractor or family member, we are all serving in one capacity or another. These are tough budget times for all of us in the military, but I am very heartened when I see the kinds of people and the kinds of effort I saw here today at Redstone Arsenal. I think people are making an important difference, and they are not letting challenges be barriers. They are making those challenges into opportunities."

Related Links:

U.S. Air Force web page

USASMDC/ARSTRAT website

USASMDC/ARSTRAT Facebook page

USASMDC/ARSTRAT Twitter feed

Secretary of the Air Force's Twitter feed

Secretary of the Air Force's Facebook page

SECAF James' visit Flickr set