WEBVTT 00:00.015 --> 00:02.598 (gentle music) 00:14.120 --> 00:15.053 - I'm a Colonel James Smith, 00:15.053 --> 00:18.070 the commander of the Peterson-Schriever Garrison, 00:18.070 --> 00:21.920 one of the two garrison's in space operations command 00:21.920 --> 00:24.560 with responsibility for providing base operations support 00:24.560 --> 00:28.500 and services to all our space force mission Delta's 00:28.500 --> 00:31.055 at multiple locations around the world. 00:31.055 --> 00:33.638 (gentle music) 00:39.313 --> 00:41.360 I don't think the nature of the mission changes. 00:41.360 --> 00:42.749 The nature of the mission is a wing commander, 00:42.749 --> 00:46.220 which I was before, was taking care of airmen 00:46.220 --> 00:47.706 and making sure they have everything they need 00:47.706 --> 00:49.380 to do their job. 00:49.380 --> 00:52.310 From a scope perspective, the scope shifted somewhat. 00:52.310 --> 00:54.897 I was responsible for one base, 00:54.897 --> 00:57.066 now we have 22 locations around the world 00:57.066 --> 01:00.350 that we're responsible for as a garrison, 01:00.350 --> 01:01.839 to make sure we're providing services 01:01.839 --> 01:04.080 to those airmen in those locations, 01:04.080 --> 01:04.913 and also the mission Delta's 01:04.913 --> 01:07.581 who are performing missions at those locations. 01:07.581 --> 01:10.164 (gentle music) 01:15.610 --> 01:17.835 One benefit is we allow mission commanders 01:17.835 --> 01:19.480 to focus on mission. 01:19.480 --> 01:22.480 So each of our Delta commanders has an assigned mission set, 01:22.480 --> 01:26.120 whether that be precision navigation and timing 01:26.120 --> 01:29.370 or over warfare or space electronic warfare, 01:29.370 --> 01:31.000 whatever mission they've been assigned, 01:31.000 --> 01:31.833 they no longer need to worry 01:31.833 --> 01:35.430 or think about the base operations support aspects, 01:35.430 --> 01:38.150 because we are providing that as a garrison. 01:38.150 --> 01:38.983 The second benefit 01:38.983 --> 01:41.660 I think as we establish this new garrison, 01:41.660 --> 01:44.010 especially here in the Colorado Springs area, 01:44.010 --> 01:46.410 there is an opportunity to gain efficiencies 01:46.410 --> 01:49.401 and standardization across our bases. 01:49.401 --> 01:51.984 (gentle music) 01:56.760 --> 01:59.720 Space really has become core, 01:59.720 --> 02:02.480 a little bit of a hidden core in everything we do. 02:02.480 --> 02:05.430 So on the war fighting front, 02:05.430 --> 02:06.312 we can't fight a war as a nation 02:06.312 --> 02:09.640 without the capabilities we provide from space. 02:09.640 --> 02:12.170 On our personal lives, I think many of us don't realize 02:12.170 --> 02:14.700 the amount we rely day to day 02:14.700 --> 02:16.670 on the capabilities we provide from space. 02:16.670 --> 02:20.970 So this creation of an independent space force will allow us 02:20.970 --> 02:23.460 as space professionals to become those experts 02:23.460 --> 02:26.505 and allow us to renew that focus. 02:26.505 --> 02:29.088 (gentle music) 02:35.490 --> 02:37.360 So 2020 has been an interesting year. 02:37.360 --> 02:41.060 I've never seen as much uncertainty 02:41.060 --> 02:45.830 across all aspects of our lives as I've seen in 2020. 02:45.830 --> 02:48.000 Two pieces of advice I would give 02:48.000 --> 02:50.140 to all of us as part of this garrison, 02:50.140 --> 02:52.840 to help us deal with that uncertainty and stress, one, 02:53.870 --> 02:57.010 don't forget those connections with other people. 02:57.010 --> 02:58.260 We're not going to be successful 02:58.260 --> 02:59.093 through an isolated approach. 02:59.093 --> 03:00.330 We got to remain connected. 03:00.330 --> 03:01.163 So I really encouraged everybody 03:01.163 --> 03:04.130 to find those people that are your wing men, 03:04.130 --> 03:05.100 that are your mentors 03:05.100 --> 03:07.931 and renew those connections during this time. 03:07.931 --> 03:10.800 The second piece I would encourage everybody to do 03:10.800 --> 03:12.670 as we deal with uncertainty, 03:12.670 --> 03:14.870 is just focused on those things you control. 03:15.800 --> 03:17.550 While the organizational, 03:17.550 --> 03:20.540 high level organizational structure may have changed, 03:20.540 --> 03:24.370 the day to day mission of our defenders, of our medics, 03:24.370 --> 03:25.771 of our contracting squadron, 03:25.771 --> 03:29.760 of all the support functions we provide has not changed. 03:29.760 --> 03:32.224 And so I would just ask each airmen and space professional 03:32.224 --> 03:34.150 to be the best they can, 03:34.150 --> 03:36.660 at their specific mission and focus on that, 03:36.660 --> 03:37.828 and we'll work at a higher level 03:37.828 --> 03:40.087 to remove that uncertainty as best we can. 03:40.087 --> 03:42.670 (gentle music) 03:48.070 --> 03:48.903 One of the most important things 03:48.903 --> 03:51.280 I think all of us need to do, 03:51.280 --> 03:53.920 is we need to understand why we do a certain mission. 03:53.920 --> 03:55.244 So as I talk about, 03:55.244 --> 03:59.180 defenders continue to be tactical experts as defenders. 03:59.180 --> 04:00.013 They can do that better, 04:00.013 --> 04:02.140 if they understand what they are defending. 04:02.140 --> 04:05.190 As I talk about any support function, 04:05.190 --> 04:07.690 being experts at that support function, 04:07.690 --> 04:09.181 their ability and all of our ability 04:09.181 --> 04:12.406 to do whatever we've been asked to do, 04:12.406 --> 04:17.020 is empowered and influenced and we do it better 04:17.020 --> 04:19.480 if we understand the why behind what we're doing. 04:19.480 --> 04:23.560 So, as we stand up this new organization, 04:23.560 --> 04:25.830 what I hope we can do is understand 04:25.830 --> 04:28.960 the role of a Deltas and the role of the garrisons 04:28.960 --> 04:30.770 and together we can understand each other. 04:30.770 --> 04:32.160 And I think that'll allow all of us 04:32.160 --> 04:33.666 to do the mission better. 04:33.666 --> 04:36.249 (gentle music)