MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- Space Delta 13’s Detachment 2, in collaboration with the U.S. Air Force’s Holm Center, has played a key role in educational development efforts here in Air Force ROTC, Officer Training School, and in both the Air Force and Space Force Junior ROTC programs.
“Over the past year, Space Delta 13, Detachment 2 and the Holm Center have worked to provide a similar experience for Guardian accessions, regardless of commissioning source. The team updated both the Air Force ROTC and Officer Training School curriculum to capture Space Force equities and infuse foundational space-related material,” said Col. Bryan Dutcher, Space Delta 13 commander. “Now, both services’ cadets and officer trainees are exposed to the Guardian Ideal, which outlines the Space Force core.”
Over the past six months, Space Delta 13’s Detachment 2 and Holm Center Academic Affairs developed 13 space-centric lessons for the Air Force Junior ROTC curriculum and coordinated and hosted the first-ever Space Force Junior ROTC Virtual Summit.
“These efforts fostered connections and communication among the 10 Space Force Junior ROTC units, 21 leaders, and 988 high school cadets, building networks and establishing U.S. Space Force culture while uniting nationwide units toward a common goal,” said Lt. Col. Christopher Taylor, Space Delta 13, Detachment 2 commander.
The detachment has also been on-site at local schools over the last year.
“In October 2023, our team served as judges for the Stanhope Elmore High School Area 4 Drill Competition, observing and judging drill disciplines for 12 local high school Junior ROTC teams,” Taylor said. “We also had the opportunity to personally inspire cadets at Space Force Junior ROTC units at Falcon High School in Falcon, Colorado, Arlington Career Center in Arlington, Virginia, and Shadow Mountain High School in Phoenix to learn, share, and challenge each other in pursuit of becoming citizens of character.”
Participation by Space Force cadets in ROTC is up, with 319 Guardian Cadets across 105 of the 145 Air Force ROTC detachments.
“In class, they are exposed to three space heritage lessons, including Space Force Generation information within the ‘How the Department of the Air Force Deploys’ lesson, and the ‘Department of the Air Force Commands’ lesson was updated to include details on each Space Force Field Command and Delta, providing a foundation for future officer education,” Taylor said.
Throughout the past academic year, Detachment 2 hosted 12 virtual Space Force Supplemental briefs to Air Force ROTC detachments, providing additional Space Force information to cadets interested in becoming Guardians or simply wanting to learn more about the Space Force.
“These sessions included information for cadets on why they should consider service in the U.S. Space Force, as well as information on the service’s organizational makeup and career fields they could choose from, challenges in space, the Guardian Ideal, and space power disciplines,” Taylor said.
Taylor also noted how Detachment 2 supported all four Air Force ROTC Field Training encampments, including supporting cadet Space Force patching ceremonies for 152 Space Force cadets, “Ask Me Anything” panels, and virtual reality immersions depicting the Earth and satellites in various orbits. Air Force ROTC also had four Guardian cadre supporting Field Training, instructing 2,132 Air Force ROTC cadets in Space Force and Air Force lessons.
Taylor stated Detachment 2 has also partnered with the Holm Center to help build Space Force culture at Officer Training School.
“We provided space-centric experiences for 94 officer trainees across six cohort classes during fiscal year 2024,” Taylor said. “These experiences included seven Space Force patching ceremonies and five immersion trips where our team took the Space Force cohort to visit the 20th Space Surveillance Squadron at Eglin Site C6 for a day of immersion in Space Domain Awareness operations.”
To meet the demands of great power competition, Space Delta 13 and the Holm Center are committed to reoptimizing their approach to space education.
“This team’s efforts now and in the future, help move us in the right direction to educate space-minded warriors in support of national interests who are intellectually prepared and ready to prevail in competition and conflict,” Dutcher said.
Air Force readiness for any future high-end fight depends on mission-focused training that empowers Airmen and Guardians to think strategically, solve problems and respond quickly when applying what they've learned to the real-world battlespace of strategic competition.
“Developing mission-ready, combat-credible Airmen and Guardians who are empowered and successful in operational units begins with foundational training,” said Col. Eugene Moore III, commander of Air Force ROTC. “Enhancing the education experience of our cadets is essential for gaining the upper hand against our competitors.”