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The United States Air Force Academy was an amazing and unforgettable experience. I attended the 64th Academy Assembly - Waging Peace on the Final Frontier: Shaping the Future of Space Policy & Defense. Fellow McConnell Scholar Camryn McPherson (Class of 2025) was also a delegate to the assembly, and we embarked on this journey together.
Before leaving, we met with a member of the First Army Space Brigade via teleconference to gain an understanding of what the Army does in Space and the biggest space-related issues the world faces today. The Army Space Brigade oversees the tracking of everything that orbits the Earth. There are many locations throughout the world that host the Army Space Brigade, therefore the sun never sets on their operations. Their mission is to supply trained and readied soldiers and always be prepared to deploy and execute missions. The representative also spoke on satellite capabilities. For example, four of our JTAG satellites can spot ballistic missile launches from anywhere on Earth. Lastly, we were briefed on unclassified information relating to commercial space war, nuclear deterrence, missile defense systems, and space treaties. My knowledge in space was very deficient prior to this meeting, so this was an awesome opportunity to gather information before we set out for the assembly.
Leaving Kentucky for Colorado was quite exciting since this was my first time in the Centennial State. We flew from Louisville to Denver and met a young man by the name of Tyler who engaged with us for the duration of the flight. Tyler was flying back home to California after visiting with his family in Louisville. Speaking with Tyler was an awesome experience because he provided a lot of insight regarding nutrition and self-care. He is currently a Chef for his personal business in California and teaches abroad for part of the year. On the second flight from Denver to Colorado Springs, I met a sweet elderly lady who was returning from the birthday party of her 96-year-old friend. We had an enjoyable conversation about her life and the beautiful sight of the mountains as we landed in Colorado Springs. She pointed out Pikes Peak as we landed, which was simply breath-taking.
Upon Arrival, I was greeted by Aidan (sophomore cadet), who would host me in his dorm for the duration of my stay at USAFA. Aidan escorted me to events and showed me around the academy during our free time. One of the highlights of my trip was going to the fourth floor of the library and seeing the oldest books of the library. Dating all the way back to the early 1400’s, some of the books in the collection include authors such as Galileo, Jules Verne, and many early works relating to the evolution of flight. I was able to see a first edition copy of Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne, which was very neat.
The first night at the assembly started with a social event, meeting the other internal and external delegates of the academy assembly. We heard renditions from the USAFA Men and Women Choir before leaving the social. Afterwards, we had a nice dinner followed by a message from President Dwight D. Eisenhower's Granddaughter (Susan), who encouraged us to always start with the end in mind and shared the importance of U.S. Space Policy officials having definite roles with government. After Susan, we heard from Lori Garver, who was second in command at NASA under the Obama Administration. Lori focused more on the commercial aspect of space, discussing SpaceX and Starlink and joint military and commercial uses of space. In respect to the war in Ukraine, we have seen Starlink assist the Ukrainians by providing internet capabilities throughout the country. This puts Starlink at risk of a military attack by the Russians. Ms. Garver also spoke on the Apollo mission to the moon in 1969 and said, “we do it because it’s hard.” She also discussed that the Artemis moon mission aims to place the first woman and person of color on the moon within this decade and have more inclusive and diverse individuals on future missions.
The next two days were loaded with a full schedule, with both days starting at 7:00am and ending at 11:00pm. We had several discussion panels, consisting of military members, USAFA professors, and other distinguished guests. Panels discussed and took questions about War-fighting in the Space Domain, Space Laws along with Norms and Sustainability, and the Future of Commercial Space. Another highlight of my experience was the workshop I was a part of titled: Nuclear Deterrence Simulation. In this workshop, we were given four fictitious countries and a scenario of two countries conflicted over land that has been claimed by both countries. All countries had their own benefits and objectives. The goal of my country was simple: de-escalate tensions and avoid nuclear war from breaking out. Through many meetings, messages, and public statements, we accomplished this at the end of our third session by forming a treaty between all countries involved.
The most substantial part of this trip, by far, was the people. Among the external delegates from the assembly, I became friends with various students from all over the country: Princeton, MIT, University of Denver, UT Austin, the Naval Academy, the Air Force Academy, and many more colleges. They made this assembly very rewarding through their collaboration with me and each other. I also enjoyed meeting many different cadets at the assembly and listening to their goals in the US Air Force. I look forward to seeing where life takes all of us.
I am blessed to have been afforded this wonderful opportunity to attend the USAFA Assembly and learn so much about the future of space and establish many connections with like-minded individuals who want to make their positive mark on the world. Thank you to the U.S. Air Force Academy, COL Karen Rutka and LTC Kimberly Pringle (McConnell Center Army War College Fellows), and the McConnell Center.
Dyllan Tipton, of Taylorsville, Ky., is a member of the McConnell Scholar Class of 2026 at the University of Louisville. He plans to study Political Science.