Space Force Graduates First Candidates of Space Intelligence Program
Article by 1st Lt. Tyler Whiting July 23, 2020 (spaceforce.mil)
• June 23rd, the Space Force Intelligence Intern Program (SIIP) graduated its first two interns, Capt. Rebecca Bosworth and Capt. Devin Hightower (the two standing to the right in the photo above). The two graduating interns spent two years working alongside and learning from some of the most experienced intelligence personnel in the space community. The graduates then briefed Chief of Space Operations, General John “Jay” Raymond, his senior leadership, and the Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance for the U.S. Air Force.
• The Space Force Intelligence Intern Program was created in 2018 after recognizing there was no in-depth training for intelligence professionals to address the rising threats in the space domain. “The program itself went from inception to execution in less than five months,” said spokesperson Col. Suzy Streeter. “… and they surpassed all expectations. Both were game-changers for space operations and the intelligence community.”
• Intelligence support has historically been provided through small intelligence elements responsible for numerous programs. But the SIIP program interns were embedded directly with the team responsible for test and development of a new system, which improved their ability to provide intelligence support to the program. “The best advice is to be creative, always keep the problem in mind, and to always find a way over obstacles that will inevitably arise,” said Hightower.
• Both graduates will be assigned to the Space Security and Defense Program’s Threat Assessment Division, and have volunteered to join the US Space Force once the transfer window opens. “Originally we became a part of this program to develop ourselves into leaders to improve space intelligence in the Air Force. Now, we are helping to lay some of the groundwork for a new branch of the DoD,” said Hightower. “The best part of the transition to the USSF is that the vision is constantly evolving.”
• Two new interns will be added to the program each year. The program itself will continue to evolve based on feedback from graduating participants to improve and formalize intelligence support to space operations needed to ensure the U.S. continued superiority and ability fight and win in a conflict, should it extend to space.
PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. — The new U.S. Space Force Intelligence Intern Program graduated its first cohort on June 23, 2020, preparing them to succeed in future space intelligence leadership roles. The two graduating interns had an opportunity to out-brief the Chief of Space Operations, General John “Jay” Raymond, his senior leadership, and the Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, headquarters U.S. Air Force.
The Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Directorate at Headquarters, USSF (formerly Air Force Space Command) and the Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Cyber Effects Operations at Headquarters U.S. Air Force stood up the SIIP in July 2018, after recognizing there was no in-depth training for intelligence professionals to address the rising threats in the space domain.
The SIIP is designed to build a foundational knowledge of space intelligence for its participants. Interns spend two years working alongside and learning from some of the most experienced intelligence personnel in the space community.
The SIIP placed two company grade officers in its inaugural cohort: Capt. Rebecca Bosworth and Capt. Devin Hightower – in the Space Security and Defense Program’s Threat Assessment Division, where they worked on real-world, experiential projects concerning space threats, trends and how they affect U.S. space assets.
For two years, Bosworth and Hightower have been growing their experience as intelligence professionals in the space domain, improving the USSF’s ability to effectively integrate and action ISR data in support of the services mission to protect U.S. and allied interest in space.
“The program itself went from inception to execution in less than five months so there wasn’t much time to create expectations or structure,” said Col. Suzy Streeter, director of ISR at HQ, USSF. “Nonetheless, I had full confidence in their abilities to roll with whatever came their way and they surpassed all expectations. Both were game-changers for space operations and the intelligence community.”
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