FOR RELEASE: Friday, May 12, 2023
CONTACT: U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. Ben Kimball, 720-847-9435, 140wg.pa.org@us.af.mil
BUCKLEY SPACE FORCE BASE, Colo. – The Colorado Air National Guard will host a virtual news media round table and an in-person media day at the D.C. National Guard Armory, May 17, 2023, starting at 10 a.m.
The virtual news media round table will consist of ANG Citizen Airmen from the 216th Electromagnetic Warfare Squadron, California National Guard, 138th Space Control Squadron, Colorado National Guard, 114th Space Control Squadron, Florida National Guard, and 293rd Electromagnetic Warfare Squadron, Hawaii National Guard, available to answer questions about space missions currently assigned to the National Guard.
These squadrons are participating in an exercise deployment of the Space Electromagnetic Warfare Counter Communications System assigned to these ANG Space States.
While the U.S. Space Force has been established, no reserve component exists for this new service.
For 27 years, more than 1,000 ANG Citizen Airmen based in 7 states, one territory, and the District of Columbia, who perform or support space missions every day, remain unaligned with their natural Active Component mission partner, the United States Space Force.
Chief of Space Operations U.S. Space Force Gen. B. Chance “Salty” Saltzman has testified in multiple posture hearings that “Air National Guard space capabilities are critical and must-haves.” When asked about how to organize the space capabilities in the ANG, he said he wants the option “that maintains the operational space capabilities present in the ANG in the most cost-effective way.”
The ANG Space EW Squadrons have consistently been deployed into the U.S. Central Command and U.S. Africa Command theaters since 2018. The units typically deploy to Space EW CCSs already in theater. To maintain readiness, the COANG 138th Space EW unit will deploy its CCS utilizing airlift and trucking means to Washington, D.C.
“Our National Guard space professionals are the key to integrating space capabilities into overseas contingency operations, homeland domestic response, such as missile warning and wildfire support, and international state partnerships,” The Adjutant General of Colorado U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Laura Clellan said. “The delay in the establishment of a Space National Guard erodes the readiness of our Citizen-Airmen to provide this critical support to our national security.”
ANG space units defend our nation on behalf of combatant commanders across various mission areas: missile warning; space domain awareness; satellite command and control; military satellite communications; space electromagnetic warfare operations; space test and training; analysis of space intelligence.
An integrated Space National Guard will align efforts under one service, reduce bureaucracy, enable common space warfighter culture, and can be accomplished within existing National Guard resources.