More AF News Course trains 'space cowboys' by Master Sgt. Cowboys have to know how to rope and brand a steer in order to ride the range. Space cowboys have to know about launch trajectory, satellite apogee and boosters in order to ride the space range. The idea is to create airmen, soldiers, sailors and Marines who will be literate in the language of space operations, launch and satellites at an introductory level. With space becoming less a Buck Rogers fantasy and more of a common, unseen necessity of everyday life, the need to provide some fundamental knowledge of the possibilities and limitations of space-based assets has become urgent.
Space is relevant for the warfighter today.
If we rely on a small cadre of space professionals alone, then we can't touch every aspect of the warfighter. Our course goes to the lowest echelon. The warfighter knows the questions to ask to enhance his capabilities. Here, we graduate about 500 people a year from every service of every rank from an infantry battalion radio operator to a three-star general. That's if there's a mention of some space-related topic while you're having a martini in a bar, you can talk about it with just enough expertise to impress everyone around you.