The aerospace continuum defines the domain in which the Air Force will operate, Barry said. "Aerospace Integration addresses how (the Air Force) can best combine the unique capabilities that (it possesses) in air and space to become the most efficient and effective aerospace force it can.

By becoming a full spectrum aerospace force the general explained, "We remain loyal to our core purpose as a military institution -- to be a force that enhances our nation's joint warfighting capabilities and continues to guarantee the security of the United States."

There will be challenges on the journey to becoming a full spectrum aerospace force, according to Barry.

"This will be a cultural adjustment," he said. "As we become more dependent on space, it will have to become a larger part of how we fight our wars. There will be some cultural biases and 'tribal' mentalities within our Air Force that we must work on to become a more unified team.

"We can accomplish this by educating our forces on the importance of becoming one unified aerospace force to meet the needs of the 21st century," he said.

The Air Force is expanding its emphasis on aerospace integration education to existing professional military training for both officers and enlisted members, Barry said. It is even working to foster an increased understanding of aerospace integration among its newest troops in basic military training.

There are some challenges in meeting the obligations of using space in the defense of this country where the Air Force is fiscally constrained in some areas, he said.

"We have an obligation to maximize our use of the resources we have to make best use of what we are given. We also have to provide a blueprint or plan that future senior leaders can use to make informed decisions on how the Air Force can expand its aerospace integration efforts if asked to do so."

The challenges of aerospace integration are being met with careful planning, decisive action, strong leadership and individual commitment, Barry said. However, the journey to a full spectrum aerospace force still requires the support of the entire Air Force family.

"Because this effort is so important, we are asking all of our people to be active participants," he said. "Aerospace integration is as much your own endeavor as it is the Air Force's. Working together, we can make the Air Force stronger and provide a better defense for our families and our nation.

"By luck of birth, we are citizens of the most powerful country in the world," Barry said. "By choice, we are members of the most powerful military that the world has ever seen and part of a team, the Air Force, that is breaking new ground in the 21st Century with aerospace integration.

"It is sometimes hard to understand the time and place in which you are currently sitting, but with the bright future the Air Force has for aerospace integration, it is an incredibly exciting time to be part of the Air Force. This is history in the making."

Space Command

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