San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
Space Force boosted by bold life lessons
The Space Force took another step toward the new frontier June 23 when 71 recruits graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San AntonioLackland.
These weren’t the first Guardians (Space Force people) to graduate from the “Gateway to the Air Force,” but they were the first to experience a new Space Force curriculum led by Space Force military training leaders and support staff.
It’s a subtle and important milestone as the nation’s newest and smallest military branch develops.
Under the morning sun, thousands of family members and friends watched the ceremony, the third on the parade field after a two-year relocation and closure to the public due to the COVID pandemic.
Roger A. Towberman, chief master sergeant of the Space Force, told the graduates they matter and that while the service expects them to grow and develop, they should never lose their individuality. He added they are not alone and will always be connected to the larger military family.
“You will be measured by the change you make in the lives of others, by the difference you
make in this world, not by promotions, not by things, not by stuff, but in real things that matter — what you do for each other. What you do for someone when they need you,” he said.
His comments made me think about his boss, Chief of Space Operations Gen. John W. “Jay” Raymond, and how simple gestures have huge impacts on people.
On this day, he was the graduation’s reviewing officer, but nearly 30 years ago, then-Capt. Jay Raymond was a frequent customer of my parents’ frozen yogurt shop in Lompoc, Calif. He was the executive officer for
nearby Vandenberg AFB, and I was a 16-year-old slinging yogurt and trying to figure out a path in life.
Raymond and his colleagues were always generous with their time and spoke with me. Their goodwill and friendship fueled my interest in the service. It’s the type of recruiting that doesn’t cost the military anything and is more effective than million-dollar campaigns. He cared enough to build a relationship and tell me about the Air Force. I’m thankful for that.
There are many influences and layers when someone chooses to serve in the military,
and you never know how interactions with people will resonate over the years.
He congratulated the new airmen and Guardians, thanked parents and staff, and spoke of the quick pace of technological change. He said the jobs of today are not the jobs of tomorrow. He reminded the graduates of the importance of values and offered simple advice: “If you get nothing else from this talk, be a good person. Treat everybody with dignity and respect, no matter what.”
From the viewing area you couldn’t distinguish the two Space Force flights among the 700 graduates standing in formation in the Texas heat. But when they marched by, sky-blue guideon flags and Space Force rank on their sleeves set them apart. After the ceremony, friends and family rushed to see their loved ones. The Space Force flights gathered to visit with Raymond. He and his wife, Mollie, tried to give each new Guardian and their family a moment of their time.
With his family surrounding him, Space Force Spc. 1st Class DeMichael Sterling, 20, said he wanted to be a part of something new while serving the nation.
“I get to serve my country, and that’s the highest honor you can possibly have,” said the Tipton, Ga., native, who is headed to Goodfellow AFB outside San Angelo for training to become an operations intelligence specialist.
Watching Raymond and his spouse talk with the new Guardians and their families reminded me of his generosity from many years ago.
When I asked what advice Gen. Raymond would give to Capt. Raymond, he said he would tell him, “Go big, be bold. It’s time to build a new service. It’s not time to just do minor little iterations, and this is a once in a lifetime opportunity since 1947 when the Air Force became independent from the Army, and so we want to go big and get this right.”