national defense

July 4th Message From Our Chapter President

/ Ian L. Sitren / Leave a comment

President’s 250th Anniversary Message
AFA 134: Bridge to the Future

Dear AFA Palm Springs Members and Friends,

As we honor the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding, I am struck by the unique and vital role our chapter plays in the Coachella Valley. More than just an organization, our AFA Palm Springs Chapter serves as a crucial bridge, one that spans generations, technology, and service.

On one side of this bridge stands our rich history and the engaging stories so many of you share about your service to our nation. We all share a deep reverence for the foundations laid by the United States Air Force and United States Space Force, and we carry the enduring values of service, integrity, and excellence that have always defined our nation’s defense.

On the other side of that bridge lies the future. The landscape of our national defense is rapidly shifting toward space, AI driven weapons systems, and cyber warfare. To meet these threats, our nation requires a new generation of dedicated, tech savvy minds.

Our mission as a chapter is to ensure that bridge remains unbreakable.

Through our cyber education programs, such as the Coachella Valley Cyber Cup Challenge and our upcoming hands on Cyber Camp this month, we aren’t just teaching students technical skills. We are helping strengthen our nation’s future defense by teaching teamwork and leadership, and by preparing the next generation to safeguard our space networks, our digital infrastructure, and the technologies that will shape tomorrow’s conflicts.

Every bit of support and advocacy our chapter invests in programs like these helps Coachella Valley students cross the bridge from today’s classrooms to tomorrow’s leadership. Thank you for your years of service, for honoring our past, and for actively supporting our efforts to help secure our nation’s future.

In Service,

Jim

President, AFA Palm Springs Chapter 134

The 2026 Air & Space Forces Almanac Has Arrived

/ Ian L. Sitren / Leave a comment

One of the things I still enjoy is receiving a magazine in the mail.

Call me old fashioned, but there is something satisfying about holding a printed publication in your hands. The battery never runs out. It slips easily into a backpack or briefcase. You can read it at the beach, beside the pool, or in bright sunlight without fighting reflections on a screen. And if you happen to drip nacho cheese on it, you simply wipe it off and keep reading.

The latest issue of Air & Space Forces Magazine has started arriving in members’ mailboxes, and it is one I look forward to every year.

The 2026 Air & Space Forces Almanac is a remarkable 176-page reference filled with current information about the United States Air Force and United States Space Force. It covers everything from aircraft inventories, weapons systems, budgets, installations, and organizational structure to personnel statistics, leadership, awards, and much more. It is also packed with outstanding photography and graphics that make it just as enjoyable to browse as it is to study. 

Unlike most magazines that are read once and recycled, this is a publication that stays within easy reach. Throughout the year, I find myself pulling it off the shelf whenever I want to verify a fact, check an aircraft inventory, look up a command, or simply enjoy some excellent aviation photography.

Receiving Air & Space Forces Magazine, including this annual Almanac, is one of the many benefits available to AFA members at qualifying membership levels. It is another reminder that membership is about much more than supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. It also connects you with information and resources that are difficult to find gathered together anywhere else.

If your copy has already arrived, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. If not, keep an eye on your mailbox. I think you’ll find it’s well worth the wait.

Satellite Network Boosts Next-Gen Airpower

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Today’s SDA Payload Launch Marks a Pivotal Boost to Space Force Support for Next-Gen Fighter Operations. Many of you perhaps saw it if you were in the area.

At 7:12 a.m. Pacific Time on Wednesday, September 10, 2025, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base carrying 21 Transport Layer satellites—the first operational satellites of the Space Development Agency’s (SDA) Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA)—launching a new era in resilient military communications.

Reconstituted under the U.S. Space Force in October 2022, SDA’s mission is to build and operate a hardened, low-earth orbit mesh network of satellites that delivers rapid command-and-control connectivity—even in contested environments. This launch, executed under the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 2 contract with Space Systems Command, marks the first tranche of operational transport satellites vital to realizing that vision.

Built by York Space Systems, these 21 satellites form a flexible, distributed network using optical inter-satellite links (OISLs). This mesh architecture ensures low-latency, beyond-line-of-sight data relay, allowing real-time connectivity from space to units on the ground or in the air.

Modern and future fighters like NGAD (Next Generation Air Dominance) and upgraded F-35 variants will rely heavily on instant data access—whether for coordinated targeting, sensor fusion, or threat detection. The SDA Transport Layer will serve as an invisible force-multiplier, enabling seamless exchanges of video feeds, radar tracks, and targeting data directly to cockpit systems—even across vast distances. SDA’s mesh network acts as a “space relay,” overcoming the geographic limits of traditional Link 16 radio, and enabling secure, persistent connectivity—from Hawaii to Guam and beyond.

This launch is more than hardware in orbit—it represents a shift toward integrated multi-domain operations, anchoring air-to-space synergy and ensuring fighter wings remain connected, informed, and lethal. The resilience embedded in a distributed architecture yields depth, survivability, and coverage that legacy satellite systems can’t match.

For those who missed the live stream, SpaceX’s official webcast of the SDA T1TL-B launch—including launch, booster recovery, and commentary—is still available via their site: Watch the SDA T1TL-B Launch Here: https://www.spacex.com/launches/sda-t1tl-b

With this successful deployment, the SDA’s PWSA takes its first operational step toward delivering real-time space-enabled connectivity to the warfighter. AFA members should stay engaged with SDA and Space Force developments—as these satellites transform the battlefield, reinforcing that space is no longer the final frontier—it’s the next tactical domain.