By Air Force Space Command Public Affairs

Air Force Space Command deputy commander Maj. Gen. John Shaw (front row, fourth from right) with AFSPC Direct Ascent participants at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado, Oct. 16, 2019. Direct Ascent educates today’s officer and enlisted leaders on the criticality of space capabilities to the multi-service, multi-domain battle and need to ensure freedom of action in space while denying potential adversaries the same. (U.S. Air Force photo by Dave Grim)

Air Force Space Command recently hosted its first-ever Direct Ascent Program, an initiative created to bring together top-performing company grade and non-commissioned officers to broaden their scope and understanding of the AFSPC mission and larger strategic picture of the evolving space structure within the Department of Defense.



Over the course of three days, AFSPC selected about 30 Airmen from a variety of career fields within the command, who met with the Air Force's top leaders in space, visited space operations centers and met with industry partners.



AFSPC plans to expand the Direct Ascent Program by hosting participants multiple times each year in support of Gen. Jay Raymond’s priority to continuously develop personnel supporting the U.S. Space Command and Air Force Space Command mission.