AFIT and NASIC Airmen transition to Space Professionals

Staff Sgt. Benjamin Fillinger, assigned to the National Air and Space Intelligence Center, participates in a virtual U.S. Space Force commissioning and enlistment ceremony led by USSF Chief of Space Operations Gen. John W. Raymond Sept. 15.  U.S. Air Force photo/Wesley Farnsworth

Staff Sgt. Benjamin Fillinger, assigned to the National Air and Space Intelligence Center, participates in a virtual U.S. Space Force commissioning and enlistment ceremony led by USSF Chief of Space Operations Gen. John W. Raymond Sept. 15. U.S. Air Force photo/Wesley Farnsworth

In a virtual, world-wide event led by U.S. Space Force Chief of Space Operations Gen. John W. Raymond, 15 Airmen from across Wright-Patterson Air Force Base ceremonially swore into the Space Force Sept. 15.

The ceremony was part of Raymond’s keynote address on the second day of the Air Force Association 2020 Virtual Air, Space and Cyber Conference. More than 300 space professionals participated, including seven company grade officers and eight enlisted Airmen from the Air Force Institute of Technology and the National Air and Space Intelligence Center.

“Now we get to do something really cool,” said Gen. Raymond. “We bring together Space Professionals from around the world and ceremonially swear them into the Space Force.”

AFIT astronautical engineering master’s student Lt. Adam Cottrell is one of the newly inducted members of the USSF.

“I chose to transfer to the USSF because I truly believe that future major conflicts will be won or lost in space,” said Cottrell. “Space operations was my first choice for career fields in the USAF, and my passion for space has grown exponentially since commissioning three years ago. I am privileged to be a part of such a historical moment, and am extremely excited for what is to come.”

The virtual ceremony brought together hundreds of new Space Professionals from across the globe, including Afghanistan, Greenland and southwest Asia.

“Space is a global force,” said Gen. Raymond. “We have folks north of the Arctic Circle, all the way over to the pacific, into the CENTCOM AOR, all around the United States, all performing our critical space mission 24/7 for the benefit of our nation, our partners, and for our joint and collation warfighters. I couldn’t be more proud than to be on this team and I really appreciate all that you do each and every day for our service.”

Established on Dec. 20, 2019, the USSF is newest branch of the armed forces. The USSF responsibilities include developing military space professionals, acquiring military space systems, maturing the military doctrine for space power and organizing space forces to present to our combatant commands.

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