Q&A with Gen. Thompson, Vice Chief of Space Operations SPACE
2/8/2021
Space Force photo
Gen. David “DT” Thompson serves as the first vice chief of space operations for the Space Force, the military’s newest armed service. On Dec. 11, shortly before the one-year anniversary of the establishment of the organization, Thompson spoke with National Defense Senior Editor Yasmin Tadjdeh about the service’s accomplishments, its future and working with industry. The following Q&A has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
The Space Force is now a year old. What accomplishments over the past 12 months are you most proud of?
Space Force Ranks: Specialist (E-1 through E-4)
As of 2020 new members of the Space Force are not pulled in from the most junior ranks in and just out of Air Force basic training. Instead, they are recruited from airmen in the Air Force s space systems operations (1C6) career field.
Specialist 1 (E-1)
As of 2020, new members of the Space Force have attended and graduated from Air Force basic training as regular members of the Air Force. After ascending into the Space Force they are known as Specialist, with an official designation of Specialist 1 (E-1).
Typically, promotions to E-2 are automatic as long as the service s standards for performance and behavior are met. The only requirement for Air Force advancement is 6 months time in grade (TIG) and time in service (TIS).
Exclusive: How the Space Force foiled an Iranian missile attack with a critical early warning Nathan Strout
keyboard arrow down
U.S. soldiers and journalists inspect the rubble at a site of Iranian bombing, in Ain al-Asad air base, Anbar, Iraq, Monday, Jan. 13, 2020. (Qassim Abdul-Zahra/AP) WASHINGTON One year ago on the night of Jan. 7, 2020, Americans were shocked to learn that Iran had launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles at U.S. and coalition forces in Iraq. Iran called it “fierce revenge” for the assassination of Gen. Qassem Soleimani. As reports of the attack inundated the airwaves, viewers were left wondering what had happened and perhaps most importantly were there casualties?
Share This:
An unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile launches during a developmental test at 12:33 a.m. Pacific Time Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2020, at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Clayton Wear)
“I said maybe we need a new force,
we’ll call it the Space Force,
and I was, not really serious,
and then I said, ‘What a great idea,
maybe we’ll have to do that. ”
– excerpt from a speech by President Donald Trump, March 2018
Stop me if you’ve heard this one. Five military veterans walk into a bar. A Soldier, a Sailor, a Marine, a Coast Guardsman, and an Airman. They all order a drink. The Soldier orders a German beer, raises his stein, and says, “Prost.” The Sailor orders a shot of rum, raises his shot glass, and says, “Fair winds.” The Marine orders a tequila, salts his thumb, and says, “Semper.” The Airman orders a blue ice bomb, elevates his plastic cup, and says, “Aim high.” The Coast Guards