A lot of service and sacrfice but were still here. 250 years of the great experiment. Our Constitutional Republic.
Space Force's show of power is us. Each Guardian. TYFYS.
Looking forward to the next 250.
I am PCSing and I have been working with my MPF to get amendments due to some personal circumstances. I went in person and signed in to ask a question regarding a specific entitlement during a short tour. I was seen by an Airman and asked me to wait so they could "do some research." They shoot back to me saying, "Yeah, sorry, no you can't do X." We had a lot of back and forth and his SSgt stepped in and confirmed what their airmen told me. Pretty much saying, bro leave us alone we gave you an answer. I conceided, then asked some other general PCS questions and got up to leave. As I stood up, I was able to see their monitor and saw they had the myFSS Envision AI chatbot open.
So, when I returned to my office, I pulled up the same exact chatbot and asked the same question about that policy and short tours. It spit out an answer saying pretty much what the Airman and SSgt told me. It also provided me with an AFI reference. I thought, well, I should verify this because who knows if it updates correctly from wherever it's pulling data. I opened the AFI it referenced and ran a Ctrl+F for the paragraph.
Doesn't exist.
I scrolled down to where the paragraph should be in the AFI. It's not there. In fact, the subparagraph never existed. I went to an older version of the AFI.
Doesn't exist.
I read the updated AFI and it pretty much directly contradicting the information I got from MPF during an in person appointment with an airmen and their supervisor. The AI chatbot just pulled some shit out of its ass and fed it to the tech then they handed it to me as an answer.
In hindsight, I should have asked them for a reference then show me it in the AFI. I did do a follow up and was pretty much told it won't happen again and sorry but I really don't things will change. I understand that MPFs are low manned and overworked, but this might cook some unknowing airmen who has real issues, believing the MPF is giving them good info.
I am mostly writing this as a word of warning. Double and triple check every single answer that is given to you, or better yet, find the information yourself then provide it to the MPF.
I wasnt going to post on this because I am still reviewing the bill but its worth noting. It comes at an important pivot point for the services growth and congressional interest in our role in the stand up of the golden dome. Our Representives understand that and we are likely looking at a 80% increase in funds to be appropriated next fiscal year.
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The draft will likely hit the floor in chamber on the 24th.
U.S. Space Force Lt. Col. Mark Natale, Space Base Delta 41 chief strategy officer, dons his MC-6 parachute before a jump on Fort Carson, Colorado, April 24, 2026. (U.S. Space Force)
Dream big Space Force! We can do anything we set our minds too.
I will try to keep this one short? but I am excited for this years budget requests, Service recongition by our Congress, Hon. Pete Hegseth, and the White House Administration.
This year marks the highest ever budget request at over a whopping 1.5 trillion dollars. Congress held a hearing on it Thursday and what I am most excited about is the Major Richard Star Act.
"under current law, those who were forced to retire early due to combat-related injuries are denied the full benefits they’ve earned and are required to forfeit part of their retirement pay." "This bipartisan bill ensures combat-wounded veterans receive both their disability benefits and full retirement pay. Supporters see this as a long-overdue fix that promotes fairness for those who sacrificed so much" -
https://newsroom.woundedwarriorproject.org/Understanding-the-Major-Richard-Star-Act.
To add to the excitement for this measure. Defense Sec. Hon. Pete Hegseth came out Thursday in full support of the measure.
Hon. Pete Hegseth":
“As I have said in the past to other organizations, we support the Richard Star Act,” Hegseth said during questioning by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn
It currently has support with 79 members in Senate and 379 members in the House.
More on the read -
Other remarks - Space Force rapid growth.
"The Space Force, however, could see the fastest growth in 2027"
Senior leaders have been very vocal in Congressional hearings on the reality of our needs to grow, to further space enable the high quality of living for the U.S. and its space enabled defense capabilities. The good news is the White House is in unison with this message.
"Under President Donald Trump’s proposed $1.5 trillion defense plan, the administration is requesting $71 billion for the newest military branch — a significant jump from roughly $40 billion in the current fiscal year."
Now to pay.
First, its important to reflect we are fortunate to have Senior Leaders & Congress all come together for the 15% pay increase in the past. That move to address the E/O gap was historic and set up our Junior Enlisted for the ever increasing economic challenges all of us face today. In the past I was a huge advocate for more dynamic solutions that are not fiscally responsive but that is for another time. So the good news about this years budget request? While we enter into uncharted territory with the peutro dollar being challenged against BRICS, Guardians seeing it at our grocery store, and the pump. Congress recognizes that. ECI index reflects for Congressional consideration of a 5-7.5% pay increase purposal for 2027. Again emphasis on concern for Junior Enlisted.
Closing thoughts:
More to come. But this is our year to reflect and grow in the right direction, and it looks like Congress is on our side. Space Force will likely face its hardest challenges in 2027 we have to look out for each other as a team and care. We are it, all the challenges that we face rests on our shoulders. Embrace that with pride.