Courtesy Photo | Students take part in a discussion during the Command Senior Enlisted Leaders Course...... read more read more
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In a continued effort to strengthen relationships with NATO Allies and partners, a U.S. Space Command expert recently traveled to Estonia to educate senior enlisted leaders on the importance of space power.
U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Ryan Kavanaugh, representing USSPACECOM, briefed the Command Senior Enlisted Leaders Course (CSEL) at the Baltic Defence College (BALTDEFCOL) from Nov. 17-18, 2025. The U.S. contingent included U.S. Space Force Chief Master Sgt. Alex Birkle and Master Sgt. Cody Hircock from U.S. Space Forces Europe & Africa, in addition to two members of the U.K. Space Command. This marked the fourth consecutive year USSPACECOM has participated in this key professional development engagement, highlighting a deep and enduring commitment to allied space integration.
The two-day space immersion course was attended by 28 E-9 equivalent senior enlisted leaders from 18 European nations, including Germany, Finland, the United Kingdom, Norway, Poland, Ukraine, the Netherlands, Romania, and the Baltic states. These leaders serve as key advisors to the highest levels of their respective national militaries.
“This capstone course was a transformative opportunity to integrate space warfighting principles into the influential senior NCO advisor corps,” Lt. Cmdr. Ryan Kavanaugh stated. “Their strong engagement and curiosity demonstrated the growing recognition of space as a cornerstone of allied defense strategies.”
“The curriculum provided a comprehensive overview of the space domain, which is increasingly congested, contested, and competitive.,” Chief Master Sgt. Birkle, said, “We emphasized that access to space underpins the modern way of life and warfare, enabling critical joint force capabilities like precision navigation and timing (PNT), satellite communications (SATCOM), and space-based intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR).”
During the U.S.-led portion of the briefing, Kavanaugh and his team detailed the mission of USSPACECOM, which is to, “work with Allies and Partners, plan, execute, and integrate military space power into multi-domain global operations to deter aggression, defend national interests, and when necessary, defeat threats”.
The presentation also addressed the evolving threats in the space domain, identifying China as the "pacing challenge" and Russia as a "near-peer challenger," and outlining the growing spectrum of counterspace weapons.
A major theme of the engagement was partnership and Kavanaugh emphasized that the course, “highlighted USSPACECOM’s joint, combined, and partnered approach, which includes initiatives like the Combined Space Operations (10 nations) and Operation Olympic Defender (7 nations) that work to achieve space superiority and ensure the safety and stability of the domain.”
The engagement concluded with a joint space planning scenario where the senior enlisted leaders applied their new knowledge as space subject matter experts on a notional joint staff, reinforcing the practical application of space power in theater operations.
This annual event serves as an effective platform for advancing a shared vision for space and underscores USSPACECOM’s dedication to integrating Allies and partners to ensure a safe, secure, and sustainable space domain for all.
| Date Taken: | 12.10.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 12.10.2025 13:45 |
| Story ID: | 553745 |
| Location: | EE |
| Web Views: | 63 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, USSPACECOM Strengthens NATO Ties Through Senior Enlisted Space Education, by MSgt Joseph Vigil, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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