MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- The U.S. Air Force has inaugurated the first class for a space immersion concentration at Air Command and Staff College, known as Schriever Scholars.
Schriever Scholars is a collaboration between Air Education and Training Command and Air Force Space Command to deliberately develop and train experts at integrating space and space-based capabilities into joint warfighting efforts.
“We are revising the development of our warfighters as multi-domain and joint leaders better prepared for air and space superiority in future conflict,” said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein, at the 34th Space Symposium Apr. 17, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. “I’m excited to highlight Air University’s inaugural class of Schriever Scholars … these students are a mix of Air Force and sister service space operators who we are deliberately developing and training to be experts at integrating space and space-based capabilities with our joint warfighting efforts.”
“No one in the history of U.S. space power will have been as thoroughly prepared as you will be,” said Lt. Col. Pete Garretson, ACSC and Schriever Scholar faculty, when addressing the first class.
The initial class of 13 officers include eight space operators, acquisition, intel and cyber officers, a U.S. Army space officer, and a space operator from the Department of the Navy. In addition to ACSC’s joint warfighting curriculum, the scholars will pursue a year-long course of study on space history, policy, strategy, technology and law, involving more than 120 classroom hours of instruction.
“[The vision] is to educate America’s best military officers to become the world’s greatest space strategists,” said Dr. Brent Ziarnick, Schriever Scholars Program Director.
Students will also engage in wargaming efforts as well as conducting pioneering individual research designed to advance thinking for how the U.S. addresses the space domain.
“The Schriever Scholars program develops the officers and operating concepts to ensure continued American dominance in space, “said Garretson. “This is the first step to establishing an elite group of joint warfighting strategists specializing in the domain of space.”