By Dara Hobbs, Chief Information Officer

ARLINGTON, Va – Jondavid DuVall, Director, Federal Advisory, KPMG US, recently conducted a Logistics Q&A Session with members of the US Space Force Mission Sustainment Division team. Mr. DuVall has served as the Chief Operating Officer for the Logistics Officer Association for over a decade and is a career Logistician.

“It is critical we start educating all Logisticians and Maintainers on the important role the US Space Force has in the defense of our nation and the capability it provides to Combatant Commanders. I want to make sure this conversation begins early in one’s military career as a Logistician. As we tackle ACE and operate in contested environments our warfighters will rely upon USSF assets. Everyone needs to understand we fight as one team.” said Mr. DuVall.

What is U.S. Space Force responsible for as a military Service?

The newest military Service established 20 December 2019, the U.S. Space Force is responsible for organizing, training, and equipping Guardians to conduct global space operations that enhance the way our joint and coalition forces fight, while also offering decision makers military options to achieve national objectives.

How is Space Force logistics the same or different than Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard and Air Force logistics?

Joint Pub 4-0 explains logistics doctrine for all 6 Services. Logistics encompasses the processes, resources, and systems involved in generating, transporting, storing, and redeploying or reallocating materiel and personnel needed to support readiness, including aspects of military operations that deal with design and development, acquisition, storage, movement, distribution, maintenance, evacuation, and disposition of materiel, personnel, and facilities. Each Service operates in a unique geographic domain. The U.S. Space Force’s geographic domain is at or above 100 kilometers (54 nautical miles).

What are the relationships between the Department of the Air Force, the Air Force, and the Space Force?
The Space Force is one of two Services within the Department. Both the Space Force and the Air Force are in the Department of the Air Force; like the Navy and the Marines are both in the Department of the Navy.

How does the Air Force Logistics Enterprise support the Space Force?
The Space Force stood up as a lean, agile, and mission-focused Service. In implementing this vision and direction, the U.S. Space Force derives almost all its support from the U.S. Air Force, including infrastructure, logistics, security, medical services, and a host of other common capabilities.

What and where are the Space Force installations?
Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado
Schriever Space Force Base, Colorado
Buckley Space Force Base, Colorado
Los Angeles Air Force Base, California (to be renamed)
Vandenberg Space Force Base, California
Patrick Space Force Base, Florida
Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida
Cape Cod Space Force Station, Massachusetts
Cheyenne Mountain Space Force Station, Colorado
Cavalier Space Force Station, North Dakota
Clear Space Force Station, Alaska
Kaena Point Space Force Station, Hawaii
New Boston Space Force Station, New Hampshire
Thule Air Base, Greenland (to be renamed)

How can an officer, enlisted or civilian Airman loggie be assigned at a Space Force installation?

Space Force installations host Air Force Logistics Readiness Squadrons, to perform installation-level logistics functions. Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) is the Servicing MAJCOM to the U.S. Space Force, which means AFMC is responsible for executing Space Force support, including logistics. AFMC and/or AF Installation and Mission Support Command perform some Major Command-level logistics functions for Space Force installations, and the U.S. Space Force’s Field Command (intermediate operations headquarters) Space Systems Command, located at Los Angeles Air Force Base all have opportunities for Air Force loggies.

What are Field Commands (FIELDCOMs); what do they do?

Space Force Field Commands are the Services’ 3 operational intermediate headquarters. Space Operations Command (SpOC), Space Training and Readiness Command (STARCOM) and Space Systems Command (SSC). SSC is responsible for the Service’s space development, acquisition, launch, and logistics; headquartered at Los Angeles Air Force Base, California. SSC also manages the United States’ space launch ranges.

The Air Force has aircraft (weapon systems) to sustain; what does the Space Force sustain?

The Space Force has about 50 weapon systems to sustain. Don’t focus on the term ‘weapon,’ it’s a word identifying a category-type for accounting purposes (it doesn’t mean “space lasers”). Space Force systems are acronym soup, with some spelled-out examples including Ballistic Missile Early Warning Systems (BMEWS), Precision Acquisition Vehicle Entry Phased Array Warning System (PAVE PAWS), Precision Acquisition Radar Attack Characterization System (PARCS), Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS), Ground-Based Electro-Optical Deep Space Surveillance (GEODSS) and Global Positioning System (GPS).

Airmen maintain aircraft on the ground. How does the Space Force perform sustainment on satellites that remain in orbit?

The Space Force sustainment requires on-the-ground monitoring and maintaining orbiting systems in space. This is done by establishing a link to a satellite and updating on-board software. Since we don’t physically work on and repair satellites in space, satellites are built with redundant hardware and software that can perform maintenance without human assistance, as well as via control stations on the ground. Not all Space Force capabilities are in orbit. For example, Missile Warning/Missile Tracking encompasses ground stations around the globe.

Mr. Rex Curry is engrained in the Department of the Air Force Logistics Enterprise. He was part of the initial cadre to stand up the Space Force S4 Mission Sustainment. As Rex departs back to the Air Force A4, we asked him his thoughts about the work he accomplished during these critical first 3 years of a new service.

In the last three years I have been continually amazed at how a small staff was able to accomplish so much with so few. Just recently General Raymond held his last staff all-call. There were several hundred Guardians and Airmen packed into the Pentagon auditorium. I recall at the first all-call there was less than 50 people. Within the S4, we could not have stood up the Space Force Mission Sustainment staff (S4O) without the AF/A4 staff. Their amazing support allowed us to challenge the status quo, be creative where we could, but complaint when we must. Throughout this process we were able to streamline a lot of processes and eliminate some that just don’t apply to the Space Force. As I prepare to depart the Space Force, I am extremely proud of the team effort with the AF/A4, AFMC, AFIMSC (especially Det 1) and the Space Staff to make the Space Force successful.

The Logistics Officer Association would like to thank the members of the Space Force Mission Sustainment Division (Col Paul Filcek Chief, Mission Sustainment, Mr. Rex Curry, Ms. Laura Radley, Mr. Kelvin McElroy, Ms. Shawnte Craig, Ms. Mitzi Hutcherson, Ms. Cyndi Landon, Mr. Gary Foy, Lt Col Jessica Schneider, and Lt Col Doug Wiggers) for agreeing to a Logistics Q&A with Mr. DuVall.

We look forward continuing this conversation at #LOA2023!

Semper Supra!

About the Photo:  Logistics Plans – Ready and Prompt

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Eli Haley, 45 Logistics Readiness Squadron non commissioned officer In charge of plans and programs, poses for a photo on Patrick Space Force Base, Aug. 11, 2022. While managing all incoming Airmen and Guardians downrange, Logistic Plans also coordinate the movement of deployed personnel back to their home station.  (U.S. Space Force photo by Senior Airman Samuel Becker)

Approved for Public Release – Dara Hobbs, Chief Information Officer
Q&A Approved by Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs