Space Force Chief Says Code-Fluent Guardians Key to Establishing Future-Ready Service

The U.S. Space Force is training personnel in code writing as part of efforts to become a data-focused service.

Speaking at the Air and Space Forces Association conference on Tuesday, Gen. Jay Raymond, the chief of space operations at the Space Force and a 2022 Wash100 winner, said having personnel go through coding programs would develop digitally fluent guardians. One program that Raymond cited was the Supra Coders, a three-month coding school where individuals can be immersed in different software environments.

According to Raymond, fewer than 100 guardians have gone through Supra Coders, Breaking Defense reported Tuesday.

Supra Coders participants undergo a three-month learning program followed by a three-month rapid software development internship at software factories.

The Space Force official shared that while the military branch is still a long way from becoming a fully digital service, it has already taken the first step in coding education. He noted that in the service’s force design work, personnel used model-based systems engineering to come up with digital models of threats and the service’s preferred architecture design.

The service is also looking to establish a culture of innovation that would allow it to work more cohesively with other military branches.

The Space Force revealed its “Vision for a Digital Service” in May. It contains four focus areas, namely digital fluency, the creation of joint all-domain solutions, the establishment of a data-driven headquarters and the acceptance of digital engineering.