Airmen assigned to two space control squadrons at Peterson AFB, Colo., recently surpassed five years of continuous overseas deployments to support US military activities in Afghanistan and Iraq. The two units are the 16th SPCS and 380th SPCS. Airmen in these units execute Operation Silent Sentry, operating the rapid attack identification detection reporting system that monitors and protects the US military’s satellite communication links. RAIDRS helps detect, characterize, and locate sources of interference. “Originally intended as a 120-day proof of concept demonstration, the [RAIDRS] prototype was so successful that US Central Command retained the system indefinitely,” said Lt. Col. Paul Tombarge, 16th SPCS commander. Future deployment requirements are expected to ebb somewhat as RAIDRS Block 10, the next increment, is fielded starting later this summer. The Block 10 system allows for the remote control of RAIDRS sensors located worldwide from a central operating location at Peterson. (Peterson report by SSgt. Daniel Bava) (For background on RAIDRS, read Hold the High Ground from the Daily Report archives.)
A provision in the fiscal 2025 defense policy bill will require the Defense Department to include the military occupational specialty of service members who die by suicide in its annual report on suicide deaths, though it remains to be seen how much data the department will actually disclose.