STARCOM welcomes USSF Cyber Combat Course from SpOC Published July 8, 2024 Space Training and Readiness Command Public Affairs COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Space Force’s Cyber Combat Course has a new home at Space Training and Readiness Command. Effective July 1, C3 transitioned from Space Operations Command’s Space Delta 6 Detachment 1 to STARCOM’s 533d Training Squadron. Since its inception on June 20, 2023, the course has trained 277 graduates over 22 sessions facilitated by a team of 22 instructors. Designed as a 15-week, self-paced course, C3 utilizes a two-phased teaching approach, focusing on red and blue cyber tactics. Each phase ends with a capstone project and an industry-level certification. “This course is critical in generating combat-ready Guardians,” said Col. Christopher Kennedy, Space Delta 6 commander. “The Detachment 1 instructors rapidly solved a service-level problem, did the analysis to prove the viability of their solution, and then scaled capacity to train our operators before transitioning the course to STARCOM.” With this transition, the 533d TRS will host the course at its Colorado Springs location, managing up to five concurrent cohorts with a capacity to train 100 students at any given time. According to Maj. Joseph Schlueter, STARCOM’s chief of cyber training integration, the transfer, with zero mission impact, was only made possible by a combined team of professionals dedicated to C3’s continued success. “This transfer is a team effort, but major credit goes to the whole Detachment 1 team, especially its commander, Major Roberto Molineros, senior enlisted leader, Master Sgt. Steven Brumley, and training flight chief, Master Sgt. Christopher Reljin,” said Schlueter. “On 533d’s end, kudos go to their Detachment 2 commander at Keesler Air Force Base, Capt. Samuel Aspiranti. We’ve even managed to leverage the Total Force by bringing on Lt. Col. Danny ‘dj’ Morales from the 42d Combat Training Squadron to manage the course on an interim basis.” Instrumental to the seamless transfer, Schlueter further credits SpOC’s Lt. Col. Mark Boatman, STARCOM and Space Delta 1’s Financial Management and Comptroller shops, STARCOM’s business operations office, 533d’s Meredith McElroy, and 1st Delta Operations Squadron’s Tech. Sgt. Austin Morgan and Tech. Sgt. John Babick. Lt. Col. Jonathan Arehart, Commander of the 533d TRS, expressed readiness and enthusiasm to integrate C3 into their operations, aligning with their longstanding expertise in initial skills training. “I’m excited to continue Delta 6 Det 1’s work,” Arehart said. “With C3 transitioning to an SFSC [Space Force Specialty Code] awarding course and the 533d having done initial skills for a long time, it fits naturally into our family. We’re honored and ready to take on this mission from our teammates at Delta 6 Det 1.” Units looking to nominate participants can send an email to C3_Nominations@apogeeusa.com.