SCHRIEVER SPACE FORCE BASE, Colo. -- The 12th iteration of the Space Force’s premier advanced training, Space Flag, SF 21-3, successfully concluded August 20. The current iteration took place in Washington D.C. and Colorado Springs.
Led by the Provisional Space Training and Readiness Delta Operating Location Alpha, Space Flag 21-3 provides mission essential training for the protection and defense of U.S. and allied interests in space and supports the Chief of Space Operation’s priorities of developing Joint warfighters.
Space Flag participants are divided into three separate teams: the Blue Cell, which simulates orbital engagement maneuvers to gain and maintain space superiority against space threats, the White Cell, which provides command and control functions, and the Red Cell, which simulates adversary actions. Space Flag 21-3 had 31 Blue Cell players and 30 White and Red Cell participants.
The current training scenario consisted of 57 training objectives allowing players to execute multiple tactics, techniques, procedures and potential tactics improvement proposals throughout the course of the exercise. These TTPs and TIPs represent tactical learning points that can be applied in their home units to support real-world missions.
“Advanced training is foundational to what STAR Delta does” said Space Force Col. Peter Flores, commander, STAR Delta (P). “The training received at Space Flag is second to none and is crucial to preparing our forces to dominate in all domains.”
Space Flag 21-3 marked the first time a member of the 1st Space Brigade participated in the exercise as a member of the training audience. The 1st Space Brigade, located in Colorado Springs, conducts space operations to deliver decisive combat power in support of the Army and joint warfighting communities.
"I am truly honored to participate in Space Flag and I am tremendously happy to make the connections for another premier integration exercise for our future Army space oprerations officers and teams,” said U.S. Army MAJ Eric Lintelmann, deputy brigade space control planner, 1st Space Brigade. “As many of the space units across the Department of Defense learn and grow, exercises like Space Flag must be a priority to develop the norms and expectations of joint space planning. These exercises provide planners the ability to focus on providing space effects to the warfighter while providing senior leaders with capabilities vital to freedom of operation in space for the United States and our allies."
This was also the first time all Space Operations Command Deltas participated together in Space Flag bringing together various mission sets for a holistic training environment.
Lt. Gen. Stephen Whiting, SpOC commander, met with Space Flag participants to get a first-hand look at the tactics being utilized to protect and defend space assets.
“Space Flag plays a vital role in preparing our space warfighters to maintain space superiority in a contested, degraded, and operationally-limited environment,” said Lt. Gen. Stephen Whiting, commander, Space Operations Command. “I am proud of the entire Space Flag team and I look forward to the lessons learned that will make this premier exercise another success.”