• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Assistant vice chief of staff talks about AEF space capabilities, resources

Released: 31 Jul 1998

PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (AFNS) -- Looking down on Earth you can see where land ends and water begins. You can see the physical divisions separating cities from towns, nations from nations, continents from continents. From the ground looking skyward, you cannot see a seam dividing air from space.

Today's military leaders are gaining a better understanding that there is no seam, no barrier between air and space, according to the Air Force assistant vice chief of staff.

"We really are an aerospace force," said Lt. Gen. David Vesely. "Whatever differences there are between air and space are not important to the theater commander or the warfighter. What is important is the effect on the battlefield. Whether it's weapons, communications or information, the warriors out there don't care where it comes from as long as it has the desired impact on the battlefield."

Vesely, who visited the 45th Space Wing July 24, said separating air and space is counterproductive to the warfighting mission and the Air Force's Global Engagement Strategic Plan.

"All the services recognize our nation's reliance on space is only going to increase. The theater commander doesn't care where his information is coming from. He wants a keen, clear view of the battlefield. No matter what type of information he needs, it's coming from or through space," said Vesely.

Commanders and warfighters first gained a greater appreciation for space and space resources during Desert Shield and Desert Storm, said the general.

"They used and relied on critical weather data, communications capabilities and intelligence information to win the battle. GPS (global positioning satellite) navigation; accurate weather data; rapid, reliable communications; virtually instantaneous warning of enemy actions -- all of these are direct payoffs of space investments we made in the past," said Vesely.

Though Southwest Asia showed commanders how space was an integral part of military operations, Vesely said it also showed a weakness.

"We realized we didn't know enough about space and how to apply those resources through strategic and tactical planning. How well, and rapidly, space's contribution to the military mission expands depends on how 'space smart' commanders are and how they learn to apply those resources to the battlefield," said the general.

Integrating air and space into one aerospace team means changing the corporate Air Force philosophy. Along with building a space doctrine, Air Force leaders wanted to increase commanders' understanding of space resources and capabilities.

"Today commanders may not be 'space smart,' but they are more space aware. We're giving commanders those space smarts in two ways. First, theater commanders can 'reach-back' to the Space Operations Center for immediate information on what space resources are available to make the mission happen," said Vesely. The Space Operations Center is led by the 14th Air Force commander at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. Commanders are also getting front-line support, as space experts are deploying forward. These experts can talk space and speak to tactics as well, he said.

Developing and deploying an aerospace expeditionary force is an evolutionary step in the Air Force's history, said Vesely. Where once we had 50 major overseas bases there are now only 16. Today's Air Force stands with less than two-thirds the manning and half the fighter aircraft it did 10 years ago. Despite the drawdown, the deployment time has increased, he said.

"Last month we had 15,000 forces deployed around the globe. We don't have the bases overseas, and when a commander needs help, forces have to go forward," said Vesely.

There is a clear recognition by all the services that operations tempo is high, he said.

"It's taking a toll and we need to change how we do business. When we pull people out of Patrick and other bases to support a theater commander's needs, we send them off to places like Bosnia and Botswana without established support structures. They go to these forward bases and pull 12-hour shifts," said the general. "In the meantime, people back at base are filling in and working 12-hour shifts, too.

Forward-deployment operations aren't going to change, so we have to structure ourselves to ensure we can respond to a commander's needs, without pulling down the support structure at our home bases," said the assistant vice chief.

This is where the senior leadership sees the AEF concept coming into play. The AEF structure will ensure a team is ready to go within 48 hours and still give people more predictability in their lives as to when they will be in a "deployment mode."

"There are three factors the Air Force senior leadership looks at in our investment program -- quality of life, modernization and readiness. People are the heart and soul of our force, and quality-of-life issues will always be our No. 1 priority. We clearly recognize we put stress on our people and their families with the high ops tempo.

Changing the way we do business through an AEF structure will payoff in high quality of life for our people and control over the ops tempo," said Vesely.

Enhancing the Air Force's structure toward an AEF will also help erase the artificial barriers that separate air and space so we can evolve toward "...one force, an aerospace force, contributing to the mission," he said.

During the general's stay with the 45th Space Wing, he visited some of the people and facilities that make Patrick one of the premier assignments in the Air Force and the leader in space launch operations.