ORLANDO, Fla. (AFNS) — Space component field command leadership came together to discuss successes and challenges and provide insights into their missions during a panel at the Spacepower Conference in Orlando.
As adversaries like China and Russia continue to strengthen their space capabilities, the U.S. Space Force has emerged as an indispensable component of defense strategy, ensuring that space remains secure, resilient and fully integrated into joint warfighting efforts.
“You heard the CSO … talk about there might be a little confusion on whether combatant commands or service fight wars, and of course, we all know combatant commanders are charged with that in their area of operations, but it is the service components that actually do the war fighting,” said Lt. Gen. Douglas A. Schiess, U.S. Space Forces – Space commander and Combined Joint Force Space Component commander, who served as the panel moderator.
Brig. Gen. Anthony J. Mastalir, U.S. Space Forces Indo-Pacific commander, described how his team has dedicated nearly 10,000 hours to mission analysis to refine operational models and plans tailored to the Indo-Pacific region.
“We’re close to completing a robust programming plan that will set the blueprint for how Space Force components in the Indo-Pacific will operate moving forward,” Mastalir said.
He underscored the critical importance of space in the region, particularly as tensions with China and North Korea escalate and emphasized the need for seamless integration into the operational plans of regional combatant commanders. “Our goal is to be a reliable and agile partner in the fight,” he added, also noting the growing cooperation with key regional allies such as Japan, South Korea and Australia.
Col. Chris Putman, U.S. Space Forces Central commander, shared insights into the challenges faced by the Space Force in the Middle East. With the region’s high operational tempo and evolving missile threats, the Space Force has become integral to defense operations.
“The largest ballistic missile attack in history didn’t just happen once — it happened twice in one year,” Putman said. “Our Guardians were a part of every single piece of the kill chain, defending our partners and U.S. forces. We didn’t anticipate these types of threats, but we adapted quickly to ensure we were effective in these real-time combat operations.” He emphasized the critical role of tracking personnel and resources in conflict zones, noting that the Space Force’s agility and responsiveness were key to maintaining operational success.
As the Space Force matures, its expanding international partnerships have become a cornerstone of its operational success. Chief Master Sgt. Jeff Greela, U.S. Space Forces Central senior enlisted leader, emphasized the importance of these collaborations.
“Three years ago, General Saltzman made the crucial decision to establish service component commands sooner rather than later,” Greela said. “This has allowed us to establish strong ties at the tactical and operational levels, which are absolutely essential for interoperability.”
Chief Master Sgt. Tina Timmerman, S4S senior enlisted leader, also spoke to the growing integration of international personnel in space operations, noting that “our partners now have access to the same operational frameworks we use, and we’re all speaking the same language.”
This integration has significantly enhanced the ability to execute real-time space operations. Timmerman emphasized that the success of future space operations will depend on joint cooperation, space resilience and shared access to the space domain.
“We’re working with more nations than ever before, and the key to our future success will be building these relationships—whether it’s through joint operations, space resilience, or ensuring that we have shared access to the space domain,” she added.
Brig. Gen. Jake Middleton, U.S. Space Forces Europe-Africa commander, also shared how the Space Force is addressing challenges in Africa and Europe, particularly through programs like Tactical Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Tracking, or TacSRT.
“We’re using our limited resources to the fullest by leveraging our allies,” Middleton said. “The TacSRT program has been a game changer for us in AFRICOM, allowing us to quickly share space-based data with our partners for disaster relief and humanitarian assistance.”
Looking ahead, space operations will remain central to U.S. military strategy, requiring ongoing adaptation and strong international collaboration.
“Space is no longer a sanctuary. It’s a contested domain. Our mission is to ensure that we can operate in that domain and continue to provide support across all areas of conflict,” Mastalir said.
The U.S. Space Force, with its expanding global partnerships and integrated approach to space operations, is positioning itself as a cornerstone of U.S. defense efforts, prepared to meet the challenges of an increasingly congested and contested space domain.
“Chief Timmerman and I have the pleasure of leading thousands of assigned, attached and force presented Guardians and joint members around the world that provide excellent operations in the U.S. Space Command AOR,” Schiess said. “Every day, Guardians, along with the joint members go into operations centers and perform exquisite operations, and they do that with excellence so that every day, the leadership of the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation and anybody that wants to do harm to the United States says, ‘not today.’”
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