PETERSON SPACE FORCE BASE, Colo. -- Former Army Maj. Jared Myers jumped at the chance to transfer to the Space Force back in 2021. While Myers was enjoying his decade long career in the Army, he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to, as he puts it, “be a plank holder” for the first new military service since 1947.
“The Guardians serving today are undoubtedly laying the foundation for the generations that will follow,” said Myers. “And most importantly, the work they are doing, which is often unsung, is absolutely critical to our Nation’s security and prosperity.”
Myers was in his final year of undergrad when it occurred to him that he needed to consider plans for post college life. His list of possible next moves spanned everything from working the ski season in Colorado to teaching English in a foreign country. Today, more than a decade later, it’s funny to think the military didn’t make the long list let alone the short one. It wasn’t until he learned about “college option” accessioning and the Army’s three-year commitment for officers that military service entered the conversation. Deciding he could do anything for three years, Myers opted to err on the side of embarking on an unknown adventure while simultaneously serving his country.
For the next 12 years, Myers worked as an Army signal officer, serving primarily in staff and leadership positions for the XVIII Airborne Corps. He explains the role of a signal officer as being a mix between the Air Force’s installation and expeditionary communication jobs. In 2020, Myers attended the Air Command and Staff College and was selected for a follow-on assignment to the School of Advanced Air and Space Studies at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. It was there where he was selected to be a part of the first tranche of non-Air Force interservice transfers into the Space Force. By July 2022, Myers had transitioned to the Space Force and taken command of Det 1, 22 Space Operations Squadron at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana.
While the Space Force offers its Guardians, military and civilian alike, the opportunity to blaze the proverbial trail, Myers believes we are all anchored to their past experiences. He credits his leadership at the 101st Airborne Division and XVIII Airborne Corps for ingraining some of the core competencies the Space Force is actively developing – mission command, planning and fostering a warfighting culture, to name a few.
Moreover, as a young lieutenant, it was impressed upon Myers the importance of training like you fight.
“While the type of warfare is different in the land and space domains, I believe that philosophy still applies in the Space Force,” said Myers. “Building mental resiliency, proactive planning, challenging and realistic exercises, and finding creative ways to operate out of our comfort zones are a few examples of how we can train to improve readiness and prepare our units to fight and win.”
As we see the Space Force culture and battle rhythm mature and take root, the importance of realistic training has emerged as a foundational principle and key tenet of success in the space domain.
Along with training comes assessment and feedback – another deep-rooted process Myers credits to the Army. Normalizing mandatory quarterly feedback was a no-brainer for Myers once he took command at Malmstrom. His requirements were minimal but the impact meaningful.
“It has to be written, and supervisors must include two positives and two improves,” explained Myers.
After a few quarters, one of Myers’ young Guardians approached him to share his appreciation for the new practice. For this Guardian in particular, it cleared the lanes of communication with his supervisor and empowered him to operate and train from a place of awareness. In other words, these feedback sessions enabled a precise awareness of where his personal growth points were and where he excelled. From here, through objective and transparent discussion, they were able to target areas of improvement. Without normalizing honest and regular feedback, this clarity may have never materialized.
Ultimately, Myers believes the talent, maturity and intelligence of our junior Guardians is what sets the Space Force apart from other services and he is excited to see where they take the United States’ newest service in the future.
“I hope we continue to embrace trying new things. We must remember that different does not mean wrong,” explains Myers. “I can’t wait to see the Space Force invest in its own traditions and create a unique culture. We should always be proud of our heritage but it’s critically important to our future to develop a distinctive Guardian identity.”