FORT MEADE –
The Navy Reserve Navy Space Command Headquarters (NR NAVSPACE HQ), located at Fort Meade, Md, reached its one-year anniversary and continues to solidify a professional pathway forward for multi-domain warfighting capabilities with trained Reserve forces who are warfare qualified technical space experts. NR NAVSPACE HQ is a force multiplier by increasing warfighting readiness and aligning Reserve Sailors to engage with the Fleets, as needed, with relevant Space capabilities.
“NR NAVSPACE HQ was established because needed a Reserve Space community to support the Maritime Operation Centers and the COCOMs. One problem with how we've mobilized in the past is that it is based on a specific designator or community," said Capt. Jake Schmitter, Reserve Space Domain Lead. “To avoid losing this required capability, the stand-up of NR NPAVSPACE HQ last year allowed us to organize and align with active-duty space professionals as a managed community that is dedicated to the Space Cells at Martime Operation Commands and the Joint Space fight.”
To effectively work with the U.S. Space Command, a functional combatant command (COCOM), it is vital for Navy warfighters to understand the Space environment and how threats to Space capabilities can degrade their combat systems, and for warfighters to mitigate risk from those threats.
“The establishment of NR NAVSPACE HQ is a powerful demonstration that the Navy is committing to advocacy for its Space capabilities," said Capt. Aaron Klein, former Commanding Officer of NR NAVSPACE HQ. "This pool of warfare qualified space experts provides significant capacity, organizational resiliency and is a fleet enabler.”
The U.S. Space Force was established as the sixth military branch, but it does not eliminate the need for Space professionals across all service branches to support Combatant Commanders nor does it ensure equities for our nation's other warfighting services as they leverage Space-based capabilities. Between the summer of 2018 and the summer of 2020, several military exercises demonstrated that winning against the People's Republic of China required a staff with greater knowledge of the Space environment and capabilities, and the ability to maintain Space superiority. In response to lessons learned, Navy Leadership modified the MOC Standardization Guide to integrate Information Warfare and Space into each of its 10 Fleet MOCs.
“Traditionally, we have looked at one Navy Space Program, encompassing both acquisition and Operations," said Rear Adm. Eric Ruttenberg, Reserve Director of Maritime Operations at U.S. Pacific Fleet, during the first NR NAVSPACE HQ change of command ceremony. "As we continue to build out the structure for Space billets in the MOC…our ability to reach across communities as well as experience will be critical to the success of the Fleet Commander.”
The coordination and alignment of forces to provide Space capabilities did not occur in a vacuum. Standing up NR NAVSPACE HQ has been long in the making.
“Space, along with the other Information Warfare domains, as a warfighting capability has been evolving as a standing requirement for the past several years, and the Navy Reserve is dedicated towards integrating these capabilities to enable the Fleet MOCs,” said Klein.
Now established for more than a year, "NR NAVSPACE HQ is currently focused on two major pieces of Navy Space Command's Missions Functions and Tasks: Serving as the Maritime Component to US Space Command, and providing reach-back space support to the Naval Components and Numbered Fleets,” said Capt. Stephen Melvin, the current Commanding Officer of NR NAVSPACE HQ. As our Active counterparts start filling their roles, we'll be standing right beside them, testing capabilities, writing the doctrine and training plans, and carrying out the mission. Our goal is to set the standard for Active/Reserve Integration."
“If someone has a desire to learn about space operations… we encourage those SELRES to join the Navy Reserve Space Cadre community. The Fleet needs qualified Space Cadre subject matter experts who can advocate for space-based capabilities and apply them to the maritime domain,” said Schmitter. “There are many opportunities to be learn and grow Navy Reserve space operations regardless of designator. The Space Additional Qualification Duty VS5 (AQD VS5) enables Reservists to remain within their designators while gaining operationally important Space domain knowledge, experience, and warfare qualifications.”
NR NAVSPACECOM HQ supports developing, integrating, and conducting full-spectrum space domain operations as the Navy service component to United States Space Command, in concert with coalition, joint, inter-agency, and other partners. COMNAVSPACECOM advocates for the Fleet to obtain space capabilities in support of maritime operations, establishes requirements for training and integration of space capabilities, and provides space planning and operations expertise to the Fleet.
For Reservists interested in becoming Navy Space Cadre, please contact the Navy Reserve Space Cadre Advisor, Cmdr. Eric Rubenstein.
For more information, view: https://private.navyreserve.navy.mil/cnifr/N9/Space_Cadre/Pages/default.aspx