Lisa Sodders

“SSC must invest our time and attention toward purposeful engagement with stakeholders…
efforts across the command have been doing just that but we must continue to find ways that generate valuable avenues to deliver against the toughest problem sets - together.”
— Lt. Gen. Philip Garrant, commanding officer, Space Systems Command

Lt. Gen. Philip Garrant, commander, U.S. Space Force Space Systems Command, delivers a keynote to standing-room only attendance on opening day of Space Industry Days Conference, El Segundo, Calif., October 23, 2024. (U.S. Space Force photo by Van Ha)

Citing the growing criticality of effective, ready, and reliable space capabilities in an era of great power competition, U.S. Space Force Lt. Gen. Philip Garrant, commanding officer of Space Systems Command (SSC), has released a command plan that articulates a new mission and vision, while highlighting the organizational improvements necessary to pave the way forward for excellence.

Garrant introduced the plan to the broader field command workforce in October as part of an “Ask Me Anything” discussion forum series, held at Los Angeles Air Force Base.

“We’ve made incredible strides since we stood up SSC and the work that Gen. [Michael] Guetlein started,” said Garrant, referring to SSC’s first three years as a USSF field command.

During that period, an increased focus was placed on space threats. Integrated intelligence professionals and analysts were placed into program offices. A shift was made from exclusively bespoke acquisition to an exploit, buy, build strategy. The role of commercial enterprises in acquisition programs was significantly increased through SSC’s Commercial Space Office and the launch of SSC’s Front Door portal for commercial engagement.

“Now we need to focus on organizing the command to support everybody who does the mission,” Garrant said. “We have must make sure that the program offices, the launch deltas, and the operating locations have the resources they need and the mindset and culture required to get after the threat.”

SSC’s active duty and civilian staff manage a $15.6 billion space acquisition budget for the Department of Defense, working in partnership with the joint forces, industry, government agencies, academia, and allied organizations to accelerate innovation and outpace emerging threats to U.S. and allied interests in space.

Since its inception as the U.S. Air Force’s Western Development Division in 1954, SSC and its legacy organizations have worked to continuously adapt, innovate, and deliver national defense space capabilities.

“SSC has met that call to action for 70 years, delivering the space capabilities the U.S. military relies upon today to deter and, when necessary, fight and win our Nation’s wars,” said Garrant, who assumed command of SSC on February 1, 2024. “Every link in the kill chain depends upon SSC accomplishing our mission so that, when linked with all of the nation’s elements of power, we may realize our vision of freedom for all to use space for the common good.”

While the mission remains the same, SSC’s command plan puts an emphasis on workforce development, which is reflected in its updated mission statement: “Developing and fielding dominant space-based capabilities by advancing an expert workforce.”

“We will further the excellence of our organization and people by improving foundational competencies like warfighting culture, talent development, resource allocation, quality of life, and connection,” Garrant said.

Garrant also discussed the command plan during his October 23 keynote address at the 2024 Space Industry Days conference in Los Angeles, attended by hundreds of aerospace experts from the DoD and industry. He encouraged all in attendance to review the command plan and welcomed feedback via an online survey.

“We know you have ideas, innovations, and products, and you want to make an impact,” Garrant told the audience. “We will work to provide purposeful engagement bringing the right plans and materials to the table with credible and transparent follow through.”

Lines of effort
The new plan commits to three lines of effort (LOEs). Each is designed to improve the effectiveness of the SSC workforce and, ultimately, the effectiveness of the space capabilities they develop and field. Each is being reviewed, updated, and tracked monthly in accordance with plan guidelines for measurement and evaluation.

“This is not something that we’re going to call done and put on a shelf,” stressed Garrant. “It’s a living document.”

LOE 1 – Align and Prioritize Resources

Calls for aligning existing resources and modernizing the command structure to maximize effectiveness to integrate, deliver, and field high priority capabilities by 2026. As USSF priorities evolve or new force designs are developed, the actions associated with this LOE will adapt to ensure the command’s resources are consistently being used in the most effective way possible.

Specific action items under this LOE include:

• Resource Immediate Mission Priorities
• Build Right Command Structure
• Establish Clear Roles, Responsibilities, and Authorities between SSC headquarters and Space Base Delta 3
• Create & Execute Methodology for Future Resourcing Decisions

LOE 2 – Develop a World-Class Workforce

Addresses workforce training and command culture. It calls for improving and modernizing workforce’s technical, operational, acquisition, and leadership experiences through data-driven, research- backed, and well-scoped actions.

Gaps must be identified and filled across the human resources lifecycle and deficiencies must be identified, and corrective actions taken, all while ensuring an experience that encourages all to thrive, both personally and professionally.

Specific action items under this LOE include:

• Reimagine Career Development Planning
• Establish and Improve the Hybrid Workforce
• Develop and Implement Innovative Workforce Training Plans
• Build a Guardian Culture

LOE 3 – Deepen Connection with Stakeholders

Stresses the importance of relationships between SSC and its broad array of stakeholders including the command’s military, civilian, and contractor workforce; national-level government; combatant commands and service components; DoD and allied nation development partners; host facilities; and industry development partners and service providers.

Specific action items under this LOE include:

• Mature Command Engagement Plans
• Develop Engagement Products
• Ensure Credible Follow-Through

“SSC will invest our time and attention toward purposeful engagement with stakeholders,” Garrant said. “Efforts across the command have been doing just that and we must continue to find ways that generate valuable avenues to deliver against the toughest problem sets together.”

Garrant closed out the AMA forum and his Space Industry Days keynote with a call-to-action to all SSC stakeholders, charging them with the task of determining what their role is within the command plan’s path forward.

“Find yourself in this plan,” Garrant said “Know how, where, and why you fit into the greater picture of SSC. Being able to connect to that is an important part of how we collectively drive the organizational change and culture we want to see.”

The full command plan is available at this direct SSC website link...