Photo By Staff Sgt. Camacho Roberts | U.S. Space Force Tech Sgt. Henry David Diaz shares about his influences to join Space...... read more read more
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GUARDIAN HENRY --
Since age seven, Space Force Tech. Sgt. Henry David Diaz had a fascination with space. An imaginative child growing up in Oxnard, California, a picturesque seaside city 60 miles west of Los Angeles, Diaz lived close to Naval Base Ventura County Port Hueneme.
There, the fuse was lit to launch a curious boy to get sucked into a frenzied world of foreseeable flight like a vacuum gone mad. The countdown crashed to zero as his imagination blasted off full speed ahead.
“When I was a kid there, we would hear helicopters flying by,” recalls Diaz, “and I thought, ‘I wanna be a pilot. I wanna be a helicopter or F-16 pilot,’ and that sparked my interest in the Air Force, which in turn separated to Space Force.”
Marvel movies were another source of inspiration that Diaz spaced-out on, namely, Guardians of the Galaxy. Coincidentally, this was a hint he was destined for space in some way, as he would eventually join the U.S. Space Force, whose service members are fittingly referred to as Guardians.
Diaz’ beginnings in the military stem from the Air Force. He enlisted in Arizona then spent the first 12 years as a Space Systems Operator at Schriever Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colorado, now redesignated Schriever Space Force Base. He changed course as an instructor, then spread his wings back to the 1st. Space Operations Squadron before landing in the missile warning sector after his transfer window wedged open on October 28, 2020.
“I came into the Air Force initially,” said Diaz, “then former President Trump announced the creation of Space Force. We had already heard the rumblings about Space Force, and they gave the airmen who were doing space jobs the opportunity to transfer or retrain.”
He clearly remembers his uncle, who also wanted to be in the Air Force, giving him a spark to join. That gut feeling clenched tightly to him until it became a reality.
The United States Space Force celebrates its third birthday on December 20, 2022. On this date in 2019, it became the sixth Armed Forces branch after a healthy conception within the Department of the Air Force and the passing of the FY2020 National Defense Authorization Act.
Subsequently, Diaz states the significance of this birthday is that, while the Space Force is a relatively young service, the Force has grown-up aspirations to build a legacy and history that will make its country glow with pride. And beaming brightly, it already is, while all its Armed Forces friends approach the celebration table to blow out the candles as the Force remains strong with this one.
“We're branched off of the Air Force, so we're still trying to work through our little bureaucracies and just starting to get our character and what we do,” said Diaz, “It's a super young service, and we're still establishing what the Space Force is. To move forward, we provide those war effects they need, like ‘hey, look what Space [Force] can do!’ Sell Space [Force] to everybody.”
Diaz sounds like a seasoned recruiter whose passions shine through as bold as the Space Force motto, "Semper Supra," which in Latin means "Always Above." It was created to unite service members by giving them a sense of pride and capturing the esprit de corps of current and future Guardians. And guard the galaxy they will.
He mentions a few options for future Guardians to consider; the Air Force Academy and Officer Training School in the service or through the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps.
Diaz advises them to go for it! Find a recruiter, do ROTC, and research "because opportunities are vast in the Space Force as well." As far as special training goes, he said there's nothing exceptionally unique.
“It's like any other U.S. military branch; you have to score high enough on the ASVAB. After, we go to our tech school like every other [Army or Marine Corps] MOS or AFSC.”
He goes on to say that depending on where you get placed; one could do orbital warfare, electronic warfare, space domain awareness, and other supporting roles. The only specific unique ones that came to mind were orbital mechanics and certain satellite communications.
The gleam in Diaz’ eyes brighten as he elaborates on hobbies and interests besides Space Force. He considers himself a nerd and is deeply invested in gaming and artsy drawings. He emphasizes how Space Force's impact on our military’s success is immense and why we all should care.
“I feel like the Space Force impacts the other services positively by providing that precision navigation timing, providing that missile warning, giving that warfighter the situational awareness of space, land, and sea,” said Diaz, “Here specifically, I provide the knowledge [and] first-hand experience with these weapon systems to help that commander decide what asset to use and the meaning of other things”
Diaz is assigned to the 2nd Space Warning Squadron, part of the Space Delta 4 at Buckley Space Force Base, Colorado. Their mission is to operate and maintain the Space-Based Infrared System, which monitors significant infrared events globally. His specialty is missile defense.
Presently, Diaz is deployed to the Middle East with the Combined Special Operations Joint Task Force - Levant. Leaving behind his wife and two-month-old boy has been the most challenging thing he faces on this Space Force journey.
As Diaz looks skyward, undoubtedly locked on to a robust signal from space, he glances at the space wings, or “spings,” above the dark-blue name tape, then eloquently shares his thoughts on the impact of what he's doing in the young yet fiercely ambitious Space Force.
“The impact space has is sometimes taken for granted, like GPS. You can look at your phone, click a button, and it shows where you are. Operationally, it feels good," Diaz concluded, "What's to say if a missile were to go off? I feel confident that our operators, [and] myself would be able to respond ... and keep our Soldiers safe, our Airmen, Marines, Sailors, and Coast Guardsmen. We will respond on time!”
| Date Taken: | 12.20.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 12.20.2022 13:02 |
| Story ID: | 435547 |
| Location: | (UNDISCLOSED LOCATION) |
| Web Views: | 242 |
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