An obligation to remind others ‘why we serve’

Before providing an overview of the U.S. Space Force’s mission, Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman addressed an issue that continues to get more and more attention: the military recruiting crisis.

Addressing The American Legion National Convention, Saltzman shared what he views as the reasons for a drop in military recruitment.

“In recent years, we’ve all seen a decline in the propensity to serve,” he said. “There are many reasons for that, some of them completely out of our control: economics, demographics, generational differences. But others we do have some control over, like the perception of public service, the belief in non-partisan, merit-based service and the promotion of democratic values.

“These are all part of what (George) Washington called service for the cause of liberty. And I think we have an obligation as Americans to highlight that, to remind others why we serve, and to hold ourselves to the highest standards of public service.”

Saltzman used himself as an example of how every potential servicemember has a different reason for joining and then staying in the military. “It’s been the honor of my life to serve my country,” he said. “Yet, it is important to recognize that the things that get someone to stay in service aren’t necessarily the reasons they choose to stay. We have to think about this continuum of service. To that end, we must continue to tell the story of why each and every one of us decided to serve.

“I’ll be honest. My entering the Air Force back then was pretty transactional. They said ROTC would pay for college. They said there’s a job waiting on the other end. And so just like that, I became a member of the United States Air Force.”

And that’s a military career that has lasted more than 30 years.

“It’s not why you stay for the second tour,” Saltzman said. “Because all of the sudden there are relationships you develop. There’s people you respect. And so, you take the next job, and the next job, and before you know it you realize you’ve developed this sense of purpose. Hard to describe but impossible to ignore. And before you know it, in the blink of an eye you’re the old guy on the base. The person people are looking up to. The person they’re relying on. The person they respect.

“It’s not about chasing a job. It’s a calling. Not just a profession, but the profession of service. Service to the cause of liberty. If we can all keep telling those stories, we’re going to inspire the next generation. That means people are going to follow in your footsteps. So, step wisely. Step proudly. People are watching.”

Saltzman then provided the audience with an update on Space Force’s mission. “The fact is, space has become critical for all of us, whether or not you’re aware of it,” he said. “The Space Force operates the GPS system, the satellites that give us precise location information and the ability to navigate with our smart phones. That’s the obvious part.

“What you might not know is that those same satellites give us an extremely accurate timing signal that enables global banking, digital transactions like ATMs, stock trades and those purchases my wife likes so much from Amazon. Those signals are the lynchpin that keeps our computerized synchronized in and around the world.”

Saltzman shared other uses for the satellites and then shared that in 2022 and 2023, more satellites were launched into orbit than in all previous years combined. “That’s over 65 years of launches,” he said. “Most of that is now in low-earth orbit … and moving at about 18,000 miles an hour. And all of those objects, 45,000 of them, create congestion that we are constantly monitoring to as predict, and hopefully avoid, collisions, ensuring the safety of the astronauts on the International Space Station.”

And there is space’s potential to serve as a battleground in future conflicts.

“Space is not just congested. It’s also contested,” Saltzman said. “It has become a true warfighting domain. The Russians and the Chinese have worked overtime here. Both have invested heavily across the board with a portfolio of space weapons. Both have shown the ability and willingness to destroy satellites on orbit.

“Collectively, the state of play has become serious enough, the threats bad enough and our dependency on space strong enough, that it became a national imperative to ensure our place as the world’s preeminent space power remained. From that imperative, the Space Force was born.”