WEBVTT 00:00.358 --> 00:02.941 (upbeat music) 00:08.360 --> 00:10.430 - [Narrator] This is Generation Space, 00:10.430 --> 00:13.530 the official podcast of Air Force Space Command. 00:13.530 --> 00:15.190 In this episode, we're bringing together 00:15.190 --> 00:17.140 two future Air Force leaders 00:17.140 --> 00:19.490 and a pilot who helped inspire the character 00:19.490 --> 00:21.450 of Captain Marvel in the movies, 00:21.450 --> 00:23.180 but her current job is to recruit 00:23.180 --> 00:25.363 the next real-life Captain Marvel. 00:28.350 --> 00:29.420 - What's going on, everybody? 00:29.420 --> 00:31.140 I'm Master Sergeant Dave Salanitri, 00:31.140 --> 00:33.710 and welcome to another episode of Generation Space. 00:33.710 --> 00:36.780 This episode, our very second episode, is a special one. 00:36.780 --> 00:39.750 We have two cadets with us from the Air Force Academy, 00:39.750 --> 00:42.300 and our leader of Air Force Recruiting Service. 00:42.300 --> 00:45.550 So, why don't everyone introduce themself? 00:45.550 --> 00:47.590 - Sure, I'm Cadet Maria Carter, 00:47.590 --> 00:49.580 I'm a senior at the Air Force Academy, 00:49.580 --> 00:52.570 and I am majoring in Astronautical Engineering, 00:52.570 --> 00:55.290 hoping to go, well, I will be going to graduate school 00:55.290 --> 00:57.960 after I finish at the academy. 00:57.960 --> 01:00.460 Hoping to get my masters in Aerospace Engineering. 01:01.370 --> 01:02.900 - My name is Sean Sutedjo, 01:02.900 --> 01:05.110 I'm also a senior at the Air Force Academy, 01:05.110 --> 01:08.260 and my major is, again also, Astronautical Engineering, 01:08.260 --> 01:09.970 and after the academy, I am hoping to, 01:09.970 --> 01:13.863 well, I am gonna be a pilot trainee at Vance Air Force Base. 01:15.380 --> 01:16.810 - I'm Brigadier General Jeannie Leavitt, 01:16.810 --> 01:18.070 and I have the great honor 01:18.070 --> 01:21.220 of being the Commander of Air Force Recruiting Service. 01:21.220 --> 01:22.790 - Awesome, welcome everybody, 01:22.790 --> 01:24.840 thanks for taking a little time out of your day to be here. 01:24.840 --> 01:25.673 I know it was real rough, 01:25.673 --> 01:27.091 we had to get you outta class a little bit. 01:27.091 --> 01:27.924 (laughing) 01:27.924 --> 01:29.163 So I'm sorry about that. 01:29.163 --> 01:29.996 - Oh, it's all right. 01:29.996 --> 01:32.256 - It's like the modern day doctor's note, I guess. 01:32.256 --> 01:34.160 (laughing) 01:34.160 --> 01:36.320 So ma'am, tell me a little about recruiting service. 01:36.320 --> 01:37.153 What's the mission there? 01:37.153 --> 01:40.520 What's a day in the life for you look like? 01:40.520 --> 01:42.150 - Our job at Air Force Recruiting Service 01:42.150 --> 01:44.040 is to inspire, engage, and recruit 01:44.040 --> 01:45.880 the next generation of airmen. 01:45.880 --> 01:49.460 It's pretty incredible that in the process of doing that, 01:49.460 --> 01:52.090 we get to change people's lives. 01:52.090 --> 01:55.220 We have the opportunity to present paths 01:55.220 --> 01:57.920 that would have never been available to them otherwise. 01:57.920 --> 01:58.910 And so, what we're looking for is, 01:58.910 --> 02:01.130 we're looking for people with strength, 02:01.130 --> 02:03.930 with moral strength, mental strength, physical strength, 02:03.930 --> 02:06.290 with grit, with determination, to join our team 02:06.290 --> 02:07.760 and become part of our Air Force. 02:07.760 --> 02:10.730 And so our job is to inspire and engage 02:10.730 --> 02:13.540 that generation to then find those ones 02:13.540 --> 02:17.140 who are the right fit and bring them into our Air Force. 02:17.140 --> 02:19.372 - You've been in a couple of years, I'm gonna guess. 02:19.372 --> 02:20.283 (laughs) - A few, yes. 02:21.220 --> 02:23.190 - You talked about this generation, 02:23.190 --> 02:24.563 inspiring this generation. 02:25.450 --> 02:26.870 Talk to me a little bit about what you've seen 02:26.870 --> 02:29.930 just throughout your years in the Air Force 02:29.930 --> 02:31.620 of the young person coming in. 02:31.620 --> 02:33.700 How's the person coming in, the airman, 02:33.700 --> 02:34.860 the second lieutenant? 02:34.860 --> 02:36.580 What changes have you seen with them, 02:36.580 --> 02:39.260 just as far as their grit, or not even their grit, 02:39.260 --> 02:42.270 just what they bring to the table and who they are? 02:42.270 --> 02:45.380 - What I've found is that this generation, these cadets, 02:45.380 --> 02:48.160 they're different, but in a very good way. 02:48.160 --> 02:49.500 They grew up differently. 02:49.500 --> 02:51.960 I did not grow up in the world of cellphones, 02:51.960 --> 02:53.410 or even the internet. 02:53.410 --> 02:55.760 My children are always surprised when, 02:55.760 --> 02:57.667 they go, "How was there no internet? 02:57.667 --> 02:58.667 "How is that possible?" 02:58.667 --> 02:59.850 - "What did you do?" (laughing) 02:59.850 --> 03:01.023 - It wasn't a thing yet. - What were card tricks like? 03:01.023 --> 03:04.270 - So the fact that they grew up in this world, 03:04.270 --> 03:08.240 and they're used to a different environment 03:08.240 --> 03:10.710 in terms of how they process communication, 03:10.710 --> 03:13.780 how they do some of these things, it's a different world. 03:13.780 --> 03:15.030 They were digital natives. 03:15.030 --> 03:17.580 They grew up in a digital world, I did not. 03:17.580 --> 03:20.040 I was more the immigrant, I came to it later, 03:20.040 --> 03:22.740 when it became pervasive in our society. 03:22.740 --> 03:25.883 So, the fact is, while the upbringing is different, 03:26.780 --> 03:27.740 it doesn't change the fact 03:27.740 --> 03:31.260 that they are incredibly creative, incredibly smart, 03:31.260 --> 03:33.040 and so if we can create that environment 03:33.040 --> 03:35.280 where we capitalize on those strengths, 03:35.280 --> 03:37.630 it's gonna make us that much better of a Force. 03:38.710 --> 03:39.950 - How do y'all feel about that? 03:39.950 --> 03:41.800 - So, there's a great TED Talk, 03:41.800 --> 03:44.220 Simon Sinek, I don't know if you know the name at all-- 03:44.220 --> 03:45.070 - Absolutely. - I do, yes. 03:45.070 --> 03:47.570 - So he came to speak to us at N.C.L.S., 03:47.570 --> 03:49.940 which is this kind of a character leadership symposium 03:49.940 --> 03:51.330 that we have every year, 03:51.330 --> 03:55.630 and he talked about what exactly that means 03:55.630 --> 03:58.380 with us having technology and it's instant gratification. 03:58.380 --> 04:01.490 We are used to, when we want an answer, 04:01.490 --> 04:03.470 we look it up and we know it right away. 04:03.470 --> 04:06.610 And just that's what's different about the generations, 04:06.610 --> 04:10.590 is that older generations, they had to wait for an answer, 04:10.590 --> 04:11.790 or they had to wait to-- 04:11.790 --> 04:13.180 - Check out a book at the library. 04:13.180 --> 04:15.166 - Right! - Open up the encyclopedia. 04:15.166 --> 04:15.999 (laughing) 04:15.999 --> 04:16.832 - Or the newspaper. 04:16.832 --> 04:19.790 - What that means is that we're not staying in jobs as long 04:19.790 --> 04:21.820 because we're not seeing that instant gratification. 04:21.820 --> 04:23.570 So I think something important about the Air Force 04:23.570 --> 04:27.100 is that they have to fight to keep, well, not really, 04:27.100 --> 04:28.869 'cause you have to commit, I guess, so-- 04:28.869 --> 04:31.426 - Yeah, exactly, you're kinda stuck. (laughing) 04:31.426 --> 04:32.410 - You have to write your name 04:32.410 --> 04:33.580 to a certain number of years, 04:33.580 --> 04:37.190 but it's about exciting people to keep them in, 04:37.190 --> 04:39.350 and keep them wanting to serve. 04:39.350 --> 04:42.060 And I think they do a pretty good job. 04:42.060 --> 04:43.710 I've been on many cool trips, 04:43.710 --> 04:47.740 and makes me want to keep being in the service. 04:47.740 --> 04:49.660 - Well and part of it too, I think, is purpose. 04:49.660 --> 04:51.350 Because a lot about this younger generation 04:51.350 --> 04:52.390 is they're driven by purpose, 04:52.390 --> 04:53.630 they wanna do something that matters. 04:53.630 --> 04:55.160 They wanna do something meaningful. 04:55.160 --> 04:57.790 And that's a place where we can really capitalize 04:57.790 --> 05:00.330 on the fact that what we do is very important. 05:00.330 --> 05:03.240 We are part of defending the freedoms 05:03.240 --> 05:04.720 that we hold dear in this country. 05:04.720 --> 05:07.760 You know, we are a key part in national security, 05:07.760 --> 05:08.897 and preserving our freedoms. 05:08.897 --> 05:11.590 And so you couldn't get much more fundamental 05:11.590 --> 05:13.060 than that for purpose. 05:13.060 --> 05:15.420 And so if we really can capitalize on that, 05:15.420 --> 05:17.370 I think that goes a long ways. 05:17.370 --> 05:20.410 - So as a senior leader, what are things that you do, 05:20.410 --> 05:23.010 or you try to do to give these folks purpose, 05:23.010 --> 05:25.070 to make them feel like, empowered? 05:25.070 --> 05:27.057 'Cause I feel like empowerment is a big thing, too. 05:27.057 --> 05:28.400 - Yep. 05:28.400 --> 05:31.680 - What's stuff that we can do as middle supervisors? 05:31.680 --> 05:33.830 What are success stories you've seen? 05:33.830 --> 05:35.370 - We need to create the environment 05:35.370 --> 05:38.510 where everyone feels valued, 05:38.510 --> 05:41.060 where they feel that their opinion matters, 05:41.060 --> 05:43.400 that their ideas are welcome. 05:43.400 --> 05:46.860 Because so many times, the person closest to a process 05:46.860 --> 05:48.430 knows the best way to fix it. 05:48.430 --> 05:50.550 'Cause they're the ones that deal with the issues 05:50.550 --> 05:51.990 that it brings every single day. 05:51.990 --> 05:55.040 And so, if we have an environment of dignity, of respect, 05:55.040 --> 05:58.140 of teamwork, of mutual support, where people go, 05:58.140 --> 05:58.973 You know what? 05:58.973 --> 06:01.170 I have an idea, and they feel comfortable raising their hand 06:01.170 --> 06:02.590 and raising that idea. 06:02.590 --> 06:03.930 I think that's really powerful. 06:03.930 --> 06:07.870 And if supervisors at all levels create that environment, 06:07.870 --> 06:10.830 and listen to their airmen, and give them the opportunity 06:10.830 --> 06:13.977 to make positive change, it's very rewarding. 06:13.977 --> 06:15.983 - I got the hear Chief Wright talk, 06:15.983 --> 06:16.816 the Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force 06:16.816 --> 06:19.600 talk a little bit about the frozen middle. 06:19.600 --> 06:23.240 And that's usually the second or third line of supervision, 06:23.240 --> 06:25.300 and he says, hey, we have these folks 06:25.300 --> 06:26.340 that give us great ideas, 06:26.340 --> 06:28.730 who are working close to the subject matter, 06:28.730 --> 06:30.193 but sometimes we feel like, 06:31.220 --> 06:32.740 we're like whoa, pump the brakes a little bit, 06:32.740 --> 06:35.910 don't take this idea straight up, like let me filter it, 06:35.910 --> 06:38.250 and then that happens enough where our folks, 06:38.250 --> 06:41.120 they feel like they don't wanna come to leaders with ideas, 06:41.120 --> 06:42.377 and he said we gotta get rid of that. 06:42.377 --> 06:44.140 And I think that's just such a culture, 06:44.140 --> 06:45.880 not a culture, I feel like it's been going on, 06:45.880 --> 06:49.970 but it's so great to hear a leader say that. 06:49.970 --> 06:51.490 I don't know, just being a tactician, 06:51.490 --> 06:54.630 and kinda, do y'all feel like that was awesome to hear? 06:54.630 --> 06:56.460 What are things that you guys have heard 06:56.460 --> 06:58.770 at the Academy, or things you've seen? 06:58.770 --> 07:00.630 Have you been able to come up with, 07:00.630 --> 07:03.240 innovation is a fun word, but like it's a good thing? 07:03.240 --> 07:05.920 Have you had opportunities to really own a project, 07:05.920 --> 07:07.960 or make a change? 07:07.960 --> 07:10.220 - Yeah, I mean, for us two, since we're astro majors, 07:10.220 --> 07:12.210 we got to work in the Falcon SAT program, 07:12.210 --> 07:15.170 where we're delivering an actual Air Force asset 07:16.010 --> 07:18.510 with a technology demonstrations platform satellite. 07:18.510 --> 07:21.230 And for us two, we've actually been able to come up 07:21.230 --> 07:23.330 with our own ideas when it comes down to small projects. 07:23.330 --> 07:25.380 Like we're both on the sun sensor team, 07:25.380 --> 07:27.700 as well as the range safety team. 07:27.700 --> 07:29.350 And so we're actually able to contribute a lot 07:29.350 --> 07:30.470 to this one Air Force asset, 07:30.470 --> 07:33.110 and we had a lot of autonomy when it comes down 07:33.110 --> 07:38.110 to thinking of new ways to get through these projects. 07:39.100 --> 07:43.930 And so, I think our department has empowered us in that way, 07:43.930 --> 07:46.620 and has actually kind of led our motivation 07:46.620 --> 07:48.460 because of the fact that they let us do 07:48.460 --> 07:50.017 whatever we need to do to get the job done. 07:50.017 --> 07:52.140 - And the Falcon SAT Program, I mean, 07:52.140 --> 07:53.670 I'm a little fuzzy on it, but that's a program 07:53.670 --> 07:55.930 where you actually get to fly satellites, don't you? 07:55.930 --> 07:57.405 I mean, you really got to learn about space, 07:57.405 --> 08:01.630 and geosynchronous orbit, and things like that. 08:01.630 --> 08:02.850 But you're going to be a pilot, 08:02.850 --> 08:04.110 but now you're learning about space. 08:04.110 --> 08:06.150 I mean, that's such a culture change, I feel, 08:06.150 --> 08:08.230 to get such great space education 08:08.230 --> 08:10.120 at a young part in your career. 08:10.120 --> 08:11.030 What's that been like? 08:11.030 --> 08:11.863 Has that been-- 08:11.863 --> 08:14.730 - It is very groundbreaking. 08:14.730 --> 08:16.930 Not only do we fly them, we also build them. 08:18.970 --> 08:20.920 I know of a satellite that we've put up 08:20.920 --> 08:23.220 that, once the mission was over, it was still running, 08:23.220 --> 08:25.090 so we passed it off to the space community 08:25.090 --> 08:26.090 to use for training. 08:26.090 --> 08:28.780 So that was Fannenburg, and that was West Point, 08:28.780 --> 08:29.960 and they're using the satellite 08:29.960 --> 08:31.610 to train their own space cadets. 08:31.610 --> 08:34.600 So it's super cool what we've been able to do 08:34.600 --> 08:36.140 with these satellites. 08:36.140 --> 08:38.230 Since we are an amateur program, I guess, 08:38.230 --> 08:40.470 because every semester, or every year 08:40.470 --> 08:43.760 we pass off this capstone project to another class. 08:43.760 --> 08:46.250 Some of the parts are built by the Air Force Research Lab, 08:46.250 --> 08:49.140 and just some other, we kinda gather help. 08:49.140 --> 08:51.890 But we are ultimately in charge of designing it, 08:51.890 --> 08:55.410 and launching it, and then flying it 08:55.410 --> 08:57.160 at our own ground station at USAFA. 08:58.050 --> 08:59.040 - Yeah, sorry. 08:59.040 --> 09:00.463 And I think it's really cool 'cause, 09:00.463 --> 09:02.750 I mean, even though I'm gonna go be a pilot, 09:02.750 --> 09:04.970 and even then, we have some astro majors 09:04.970 --> 09:07.350 that are also gonna be pilots, they're gonna be engineers, 09:07.350 --> 09:10.050 and they don't necessarily, are all gonna work in space. 09:10.050 --> 09:11.830 But it's always good to learn about space, 09:11.830 --> 09:13.600 'cause it's kind of our new frontier, 09:13.600 --> 09:15.633 it's our new domain that we need to, 09:16.960 --> 09:19.190 I guess, have superiority in. 09:19.190 --> 09:21.693 And so it's really nice learning all that stuff now, 09:21.693 --> 09:23.180 kind of getting on the ground floor, 09:23.180 --> 09:27.030 and getting to where space is soon, like, the next, 09:27.030 --> 09:30.010 it's gonna be the next emerging domain. 09:30.010 --> 09:32.170 And so it's cool, even though, as a pilot, 09:32.170 --> 09:34.330 I get to understand all the satellite communication 09:34.330 --> 09:36.580 that happens with my plane, or the GPS, 09:36.580 --> 09:39.350 or whatever it is, and it's cool for both of us, 09:39.350 --> 09:41.050 'cause it's an opportunity, again, 09:41.050 --> 09:44.210 just to learn how important space is 09:44.210 --> 09:45.660 later on in our Air Force career. 09:45.660 --> 09:47.210 - Yeah, I mean, ma'am, 09:47.210 --> 09:49.853 having flown a couple of missions here and there, 09:49.853 --> 09:52.380 I mean, I feel like what he's saying, 09:52.380 --> 09:53.593 I don't know if that was something 09:53.593 --> 09:56.480 that was being said that long ago, the fact that, 09:56.480 --> 10:00.440 he just connected the flying community and space community. 10:00.440 --> 10:01.410 That's a really cool thing. 10:01.410 --> 10:02.350 I'm curious to hear a little bit 10:02.350 --> 10:04.573 about all the missions you've flown. 10:06.090 --> 10:08.000 Has space been a factor for you? 10:08.000 --> 10:10.090 Or, what happened if space wasn't there, 10:10.090 --> 10:12.530 and the enemy was just like sorry, fighter pilot, 10:12.530 --> 10:14.360 you don't have space anymore. 10:14.360 --> 10:16.620 That'd be pretty impactful, I'd imagine. 10:16.620 --> 10:19.320 - Space is foundational to everything we do in warfighting. 10:19.320 --> 10:21.240 And for the longest time, we've thought about it 10:21.240 --> 10:22.580 in the support function, right? 10:22.580 --> 10:24.910 We've thought about the fact that there's GPS, 10:24.910 --> 10:28.490 the fact that we have satellites that can see many things. 10:28.490 --> 10:30.950 All of these things that space provides. 10:30.950 --> 10:33.870 But quite honestly, space is something we must protect. 10:33.870 --> 10:36.030 I mean, this is not a matter 10:36.030 --> 10:38.630 of if other people weaponize space, 10:38.630 --> 10:40.180 it's just when these things happen. 10:40.180 --> 10:42.970 And so space is so foundational to what we do as a country, 10:42.970 --> 10:45.210 not just as a military, but as a country. 10:45.210 --> 10:48.510 We were just discussing the fact that if there weren't GPS. 10:48.510 --> 10:51.087 I would not wanna be driving in any city right now. 10:51.087 --> 10:51.925 (laughing) 10:51.925 --> 10:52.758 - That'd be terrifying! 10:52.758 --> 10:54.650 - No one knows how to pull out maps! 10:54.650 --> 10:55.483 - A what? 10:55.483 --> 10:56.316 - I did that back in the day. - What's a map? 10:56.316 --> 11:00.500 - Right, so it's foundational to not just the military, 11:00.500 --> 11:01.530 but to our society. 11:01.530 --> 11:04.120 And so I'm very excited for them, 11:04.120 --> 11:07.300 because all the opportunities that are in front of them, 11:07.300 --> 11:08.870 how much I think space will change 11:08.870 --> 11:10.700 in the next 10 or 20 years 11:10.700 --> 11:13.670 is gonna be pretty incredible to be part of that. 11:13.670 --> 11:16.210 - Ma'am, what would be your piece of advice 11:16.210 --> 11:18.210 to these folks as they go through their career? 11:18.210 --> 11:22.530 Or, even let's say, like a young cadet who's maybe a pilot, 11:22.530 --> 11:25.554 or maybe a space operator, they don't know yet, 11:25.554 --> 11:29.470 what would be your golden nugget to 'em? 11:29.470 --> 11:31.960 - My advice would be to do the very best 11:31.960 --> 11:33.870 at whatever job you're doing right now. 11:33.870 --> 11:37.510 You know, you always wanna be open to new opportunities, 11:37.510 --> 11:40.220 and whenever a door opens, rush through it 11:40.220 --> 11:42.323 and seize the opportunity, 11:43.300 --> 11:45.090 but don't spend so much time saying 11:45.090 --> 11:46.300 I wanna do that, I wanna do that. 11:46.300 --> 11:48.430 Do your absolute best at the job you have right now 11:48.430 --> 11:49.900 and that will open up doors, 11:49.900 --> 11:51.966 that will create more opportunities. 11:51.966 --> 11:53.360 - That's awesome, that's awesome. 11:53.360 --> 11:55.070 So, I don't know if y'all realize this, 11:55.070 --> 11:56.820 but you're sitting next to someone 11:56.820 --> 11:58.620 who's pretty darn famous, with-- 11:58.620 --> 11:59.453 - Yeah. 11:59.453 --> 12:02.080 - Have you heard of Captain Marvel, by any chance? 12:02.080 --> 12:03.280 - Oh, yeah. - Maybe the Avengers? 12:03.280 --> 12:04.800 Maybe ring a bell a little bit? 12:04.800 --> 12:08.481 So ma'am, I mean, what was that like to see 12:08.481 --> 12:13.481 the path you've paved almost be a foundational element 12:15.440 --> 12:18.823 to a movie that just broke blockbuster records? 12:19.670 --> 12:21.470 - I really appreciate the fact 12:21.470 --> 12:24.600 that Disney and the Marvel team cared about being accurate 12:24.600 --> 12:26.970 in their portrayal of their character. 12:26.970 --> 12:29.010 Because the fact is right now, 12:29.010 --> 12:31.150 the knowledge level in society is kinda low 12:31.150 --> 12:32.210 in terms of the military. 12:32.210 --> 12:34.560 They know of us, the appreciate us, 12:34.560 --> 12:35.670 they thank us for our service, 12:35.670 --> 12:37.500 but they don't necessarily know us. 12:37.500 --> 12:39.080 They don't realize what we're like. 12:39.080 --> 12:41.840 And so, their sources of information 12:41.840 --> 12:44.300 are typically the media or Hollywood, 12:44.300 --> 12:47.050 and the media tends to focus on the negative stories 12:47.050 --> 12:48.700 'cause it draws more attention. 12:48.700 --> 12:51.610 Hollywood has their choice if they wanna be accurate or not, 12:51.610 --> 12:52.443 there's no requirement, 12:52.443 --> 12:53.680 they're selling movie tickets, right? 12:53.680 --> 12:55.810 And the fact that Disney and Marvel cared 12:55.810 --> 12:58.800 and they reached out, and wanted to be accurate 12:58.800 --> 13:01.000 in their portrayal of a female fighter pilot 13:01.920 --> 13:04.263 was pretty incredible, and it was fun. 13:05.127 --> 13:06.440 The directors came out initially, 13:06.440 --> 13:07.600 out to Nellis Air Force Base, 13:07.600 --> 13:10.500 where I was the 57th Wing Commander at the time, 13:10.500 --> 13:11.920 and we had some great discussions 13:11.920 --> 13:13.217 and then they said, "Hey, can we come back? 13:13.217 --> 13:14.950 "Can we bring the lead actress?" 13:14.950 --> 13:16.510 And they brought Brie Larson out, and-- 13:16.510 --> 13:18.070 - No! 13:18.070 --> 13:18.903 Oh my gosh. 13:19.890 --> 13:21.780 - And so it was great, she spent a few days with us, 13:21.780 --> 13:25.433 and we talked to 'em about all kinds of things, 13:26.650 --> 13:28.240 the specifics, the mechanics, 13:28.240 --> 13:29.310 how you get in an airplane, 13:29.310 --> 13:30.740 what you do in the airplane, how you move, 13:30.740 --> 13:31.960 all of those types of things, 13:31.960 --> 13:34.110 but also what it meant to be an airman. 13:34.110 --> 13:35.500 What it meant to serve. 13:35.500 --> 13:36.720 And then we went ahead and put her 13:36.720 --> 13:38.270 up in the back seat of an F-16 13:38.270 --> 13:41.690 so that she could experience firsthand 13:41.690 --> 13:42.670 what it felt like to be 13:42.670 --> 13:44.950 in a high performance fighter aircraft. 13:44.950 --> 13:46.120 - You didn't take her up? 13:46.120 --> 13:47.440 - I did not. 13:47.440 --> 13:49.180 The Strike Eagles didn't have any extra lines, 13:49.180 --> 13:50.170 which is what I flew. 13:50.170 --> 13:52.993 So I flew her in the back of an F-16 with Cassie, 13:54.330 --> 13:55.470 was a female aggressor pilot, 13:55.470 --> 13:57.599 she has since PCSd, but she was at Nellis at the time. 13:57.599 --> 13:59.030 - But they did, they did take her up? 13:59.030 --> 14:01.403 - Oh yes, she flew! - That's funny. 14:01.403 --> 14:02.236 (laughing) 14:02.236 --> 14:03.600 - Yeah, right? 14:03.600 --> 14:04.840 What'd she say? 14:04.840 --> 14:06.280 Did you talk to her afterwards? 14:06.280 --> 14:07.320 Was she feeling okay? 14:07.320 --> 14:08.350 (laughing) 14:08.350 --> 14:11.670 - She did great, I've always just said she did great, 14:11.670 --> 14:13.930 and then when I was, when we were in the audience 14:13.930 --> 14:15.120 when she was on Jimmy Kimmel 14:15.120 --> 14:17.370 right before Captain Marvel was released, 14:17.370 --> 14:19.047 and he asked her and she said, 14:19.047 --> 14:19.979 "Well, I threw up a lot," 14:19.979 --> 14:21.560 (laughing) 14:21.560 --> 14:24.770 But she enjoyed it, and it was a wonderful opportunity 14:24.770 --> 14:27.750 for her to experience what it was like firsthand. 14:27.750 --> 14:30.010 - I'm glad they seeked out that experience 14:30.010 --> 14:31.810 to try and give... 14:31.810 --> 14:32.643 - And they cared. 14:32.643 --> 14:34.430 They cared about having an accurate portrayal, 14:34.430 --> 14:37.070 which we really appreciated. 14:37.070 --> 14:38.910 Because there was no requirement to do that, 14:38.910 --> 14:40.450 but they wanted to do that. 14:40.450 --> 14:42.220 And I really like the fact 14:42.220 --> 14:45.110 that they gained a huge appreciation for our airmen, 14:45.110 --> 14:46.927 and what it means to serve. 14:46.927 --> 14:47.910 - That's awesome, that's awesome. 14:47.910 --> 14:49.430 We're getting a little close on time, we have I think, 14:49.430 --> 14:51.460 room for maybe one more question. 14:51.460 --> 14:54.140 I mean, you're pretty much an action, 14:54.140 --> 14:56.910 probably got to be part of an action figure. 14:56.910 --> 14:59.080 Does that make like day-to-day job, 14:59.080 --> 14:59.913 does it make it boring? 14:59.913 --> 15:01.370 Or do you have your own mission 15:01.370 --> 15:03.450 that kind of really gets you excited? 15:03.450 --> 15:05.220 I mean, you've done the most exciting things to do, 15:05.220 --> 15:06.793 almost, in the Air Force. 15:07.730 --> 15:09.150 How do you feel about your current, 15:09.150 --> 15:10.185 where you're at right now? 15:10.185 --> 15:12.400 - I absolutely love the recruiting mission. 15:12.400 --> 15:15.160 I knew nothing about it, I was pretty unfamiliar 15:15.160 --> 15:18.120 with recruiting before I came into this job, 15:18.120 --> 15:22.210 but the fact is that inspiration part. 15:22.210 --> 15:23.900 The engaging with the American public, 15:23.900 --> 15:27.060 and inspiring people to dream big, 15:27.060 --> 15:30.410 and work hard, and follow their dreams. 15:30.410 --> 15:33.010 If I do that, I figure it's better for national security. 15:33.010 --> 15:34.720 Whether they join the military or not. 15:34.720 --> 15:36.920 If they're inspired to do something great with their life. 15:36.920 --> 15:40.090 And the fact is many of 'em learn about the Air Force 15:40.090 --> 15:43.350 and all the opportunities and want to join our team. 15:43.350 --> 15:46.080 And so, it's incredibly rewarding. 15:46.080 --> 15:48.250 When I was with the Thunderbirds at my last job, 15:48.250 --> 15:50.397 the autograph line, people would ask like, 15:50.397 --> 15:51.510 "Why do you still serve?" 15:51.510 --> 15:54.087 And my answers were too long so I had to shorten it. 15:54.087 --> 15:56.720 And so I'm like, okay, I gotta boil this down. 15:56.720 --> 15:58.270 So what I came up with is, 15:58.270 --> 16:00.560 the reason I still serve is because I get to do 16:00.560 --> 16:03.460 amazing things with amazing people every day. 16:03.460 --> 16:05.830 And so, I love the recruiting mission. 16:05.830 --> 16:07.480 - That's awesome, that's awesome. 16:08.530 --> 16:09.440 I know we've talked about a lot, 16:09.440 --> 16:10.960 is there anything you two want to throw out there, 16:10.960 --> 16:13.463 or anything that you want to just get out there? 16:14.591 --> 16:15.514 - That's a big question... 16:15.514 --> 16:16.870 (laughing) 16:16.870 --> 16:17.930 - Reader's Digest version, 16:17.930 --> 16:19.585 let's pretend it's Twitter, 240 characters. 16:19.585 --> 16:22.370 (laughing) 16:22.370 --> 16:23.203 - I think I'll say 16:23.203 --> 16:25.930 the Air Force has definitely given me a lot of opportunities 16:25.930 --> 16:29.950 to excel, and to show off what I can do. 16:29.950 --> 16:32.130 And I wouldn't have gotten that anywhere else. 16:32.130 --> 16:34.270 I actually owe a great debt to the Air Force 16:34.270 --> 16:36.270 because it's sent me overseas, 16:36.270 --> 16:37.880 it's given me the opportunity with Falcon SAT, 16:37.880 --> 16:41.000 it's given me lots of things to look back on, 16:41.000 --> 16:43.830 and say wow, I actually did a good bit in my life. 16:43.830 --> 16:47.880 And so, I think that's the emphasis of the Air Force, 16:47.880 --> 16:49.480 it gives you a lot of opportunities to lead 16:49.480 --> 16:51.300 and to do cool things. 16:51.300 --> 16:52.133 - Great. 16:52.133 --> 16:53.290 - Yeah, that opportunities piece, 16:53.290 --> 16:55.203 which I really appreciate. 16:56.570 --> 16:58.250 You gotta jump on those, you have to. 16:58.250 --> 17:01.640 When they're offered to you, like they're so cool. 17:01.640 --> 17:04.740 I've also gone to Asia 17:04.740 --> 17:07.670 to look at their space operations there, 17:07.670 --> 17:09.790 and just do some really, really cool stuff 17:09.790 --> 17:12.640 with the Air Force and it's been great. 17:12.640 --> 17:13.880 - And so, what I want them to do 17:13.880 --> 17:15.780 is I want them to go tell their story. 17:15.780 --> 17:17.360 I want you to go back to your hometown, 17:17.360 --> 17:19.800 tell your story, and recruit more like you. 17:19.800 --> 17:20.640 - That's awesome. - Absolutely. 17:20.640 --> 17:22.733 - I think a future of them will be all right, right? 17:22.733 --> 17:23.566 (laughing) 17:23.566 --> 17:24.399 - Absolutely. 17:24.399 --> 17:26.180 - Cool, well, I want to thank you all for your time so much. 17:26.180 --> 17:27.720 Thanks for taking some time to sit down 17:27.720 --> 17:30.880 and have this conversation with one another. 17:30.880 --> 17:34.350 That's it for our second episode of Generation Space. 17:34.350 --> 17:37.430 I'm your host Dave Salanitri, and tune in next time. 17:37.430 --> 17:39.160 Thank you, take care. 17:39.160 --> 17:40.660 - [Narrator] Thanks for listening and watching, 17:40.660 --> 17:43.360 and don't forget to leave us your feedback in the comments, 17:43.360 --> 17:46.750 because we want to know what topics you wanna hear about! 17:46.750 --> 17:49.220 For those who have already done so, we hear you! 17:49.220 --> 17:53.360 You want more specifics on how exactly we operate in space. 17:53.360 --> 17:55.680 Well, the launch of another GPS III satellite 17:55.680 --> 17:57.820 is coming up soon, and we're going to be getting 17:57.820 --> 18:01.500 into all the details on what that takes, so stay tuned. 18:01.500 --> 18:05.040 Also coming soon, a look at space futures. 18:05.040 --> 18:06.920 Generation Space is a production 18:06.920 --> 18:09.600 of Air Force Space Command Public Affairs. 18:09.600 --> 18:11.130 The Generation Space theme is 18:11.130 --> 18:13.400 by First Lieutenant Tyler Whiting. 18:13.400 --> 18:15.660 Our audio engineer is Jacob Mosolf, 18:15.660 --> 18:18.470 and our producer is Second Lieutenant Kristen Shimkus. 18:18.470 --> 18:20.700 For more info on Air Force Space Command, 18:20.700 --> 18:25.700 visit our website at www.afspc.af.mil. 18:25.760 --> 18:29.130 You can also follow us Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. 18:29.130 --> 18:32.110 Thanks for supporting the airmen who aim higher! 18:32.110 --> 18:34.300 They used to say the sky's the limit, 18:34.300 --> 18:36.883 but for us in space, there is no limit.