DECEMBER 27, 2022 – Space Flag trains U.S. and coalition space warfighters from multiple nations.
Soldiers from 1st Space Brigade participated in Space Training and Readiness Command’s Space Flag 23-1 exercise Dec. 12-13 at Schriever Space Force Base, Colo.
During the exercise, nine 1st Space Brigade Functional Area-40 representatives from 1st Space Brigade, 1st Space Battalion and 4th Space Control Company 3 participated in Space Flag 23-1. Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom also sent military members to join in Space Flag.
“During Space Flag 23-1, 1st Space Brigade Soldiers have the opportunity to observe space professional from across the joint enterprise plan across multiple functional mission areas in response to threats to space systems in a realistic contested, degraded and operationally limited environment,” said Capt. Brandon Burns, 1st Space Brigade S-3 Plans officer.
Space Flag is a U.S. Space Force exercise dedicated to providing tactical space units with advanced training in a contested, degraded, and operationally-limited environment.
The intent of Space Flag is to provide space forces with realistic, threat-based training to enhance their ability to analyze and respond to current and future threats within a broader warfighting context.
During three two-day exercise vulnerability windows, where each included mission planning on the first day and then simulated combat operations on the second day, the training audience practiced their actual procedures to increase readiness to win in a European conflict.
“Our Soldiers’ observation of Space Flag 23-1 is the first step in identifying opportunities for 1st Space Brigade to integrate in future iterations of the Space Flag exercise series as well as expose our leaders and Soldiers to joint planning processes in preparation for operations in the space domain,” Burns said.
Space Flag involved theater-specific problems along with strategic and operational guidance and the training audience then developed mission plans including possible courses of action based on realistic threats.
“By providing forces for future iterations of Space Flag, 1st Space Brigade hopes to expose its units to U.S. Space Force processes in an effort to streamline the planning and execution of future joint operations,” Burns said.
Story by Jason Cutshaw
U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command