Educating Future Leaders About Space at West Point

Abstract

The United States Military Academy, commonly known as West Point, has produced junior Army leaders since its inception in the early 1800s. While the purpose of West Point has evolved over the last two centuries, its fundamental mission has remained relatively stable: “To educate, train, and inspire the Corps of Cadets so that each graduate is a commissioned leader of character committed to the values of Duty, Honor, Country; and prepared for a career of professional excellence and service to the nation as an officer in the United States Army.” Space Operations Officers in Functional Area 40 primarily support this mission by bringing their operational and technical experience to the courses that they teach at West Point. By doing so we ensure that an ever increasing number of lieutenants enter the Army with the fundamental knowledge of how Space-based capabilities are intertwined into day to day Army operations – a role that is even more critical now that Army officers are making career field designation decisions at both four and seven years of service.