Three awarded in memorial essay contest

by 1st Lt. Sarah Burnett
Air Force Space Command Public Affairs

12/22/2015 - PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -  -- Three Air Force Space Command Airmen were awarded prizes for their winning essay entries in the 2015 Gen. Bernard A. Schriever Memorial Essay Contest,  Dec. 10, 2015.

The purpose of the contest is to stimulate thought, discussion, and debate on matters relating to how the Air Force and Air Force Space Command  provide space and cyberspace capabilities for the joint force and the nation.

The Lance P. Sijan Chapter of the Air Force Association, in cooperation with Air Force Space Command, sponsors the Gen. Bernard A. Schriever Memorial Essay Contest. The theme for the 2015 Gen. Bernard A. Schriever Memorial Essay Contest was, "how does Air Force Space Command best develop space and cyber Airmen to win tomorrow's fight?"

The Lance P. Sijan Chapter of the Air Force Association provided cash awards for the top three essays.  In addition to plaques, the winning entrant received $1,000, the second place winner received $750, and the third place winner received $500.

A team of six judges, led by chief judge, retired AFSPC commander, Gen. Lance Lord, evaluated the submitted essays and determined winners.  Each of this year's winners presented a five minute summary of the papers at the award ceremony.

Presiding officials at the award ceremony were General John Hyten, Air Force Space Command commander, and Don Kidd, the Air Force Association Lance P. Sijan Chapter president.

The Air and Space Power Journal publishes the top three essays with honorable mentions given to three other notable submissions.

The 2015 Gen. Bernard A. Schriever Memorial Essay Contest winners are:

1st Place - 1st Lt. Christopher  Babcock, 50th Space Communications Squadron; "Preparing for the Cyber Battleground of the Future."

2nd Place - Lt. Col. Ernest Bonner, Flight Ops Division Aerospace Data Facility-Colorado chief;   "Defending Our Satellites:  The Need for Electronic Warfare Education and Training."

3rd Place - Maj. Sean Temple, Headquarters Air Force Space Command Financial Management; "Developing Tomorrow's Space Warfighter - The Argument for Contracting Out Space Operations."

Honorable mention went to:

Air Force Reserve Maj. Elisabeth White, 14th Air Force Space Operations and Lessons Learned Division chief; "Reconsidering the Cyberspace Human Capital Strategy."

Lt. Col. William McCulley, Headquarters Air Force Space Command Defensive Ops Branch chief; "Towards the Battle: Recommendations on Cyberspace Training."

Col. John Wagner, 460th Space Wing commander, and Lt. Col. Nathan Yates, 310th Operations Group deputy commander; "The AOC Model for Space C2: Enhancing the Future of Joint Operations."

The essay contest program was initiated in 2014 and this is the second year of the series.  The annual contest is open to all current Air Force military and civilian personnel, including Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard members.

The top three essays are online now on the Air and Space Power Journal website here http://www.airpower.maxwell.af.mil/Index.asp. Also, the top three essays are published in the November-December 2015 printed edition.