Sigonella's First Space Force Guardians

By Lt. Col. Rolly Cooper, 7th Reconnaissance Squadron

President Trump signed the United States Space Force Act designating the USSF as a separate service on Dec. 20, 2019. When the announcement went out, thousands of Airmen from all over the United States Air Force applied to become inaugural members of the new service. Most waited nearly a year to find out the news of their selection for the historic accession. For two former Airmen at the 7th Reconnaissance Squadron (RS), their dream came to fruition on Feb. 5, 2021.

Former Staff Sergeants David Kim and Rylan Phung made history by taking the oath of enlistment into the United States Space Force in front of their peers in a physically distanced ceremony. They became Naval Air Station (NAS) Sigonella’s first Space Force Guardians, assuming the new rank of Sergeant.

“At first I thought it was a joke,” said Sgt. Phung when questioned about the call for volunteers, “but when they announced that my career field was eligible, a bunch of Airmen in my work center volunteered with me.”

Sgt. Phung is no stranger to pioneering circumstances. In 2014, he was a founding member of the Surgical Robotics Program at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in Baton Rouge, LA. Before medical robotics, he founded his high school robotics club, constructing numerous projects for competitions.

Sgt. Kim had different reasons for crossing “into the black.”

“I just had a compelling interest in space from a young age,” explained Sgt. Kim. “My leadership talked it up and wrote up a very competitive package for me. I felt like I had as good of a chance as anybody for selection.”

Sgt. Kim and Sgt. Phung will continue to serve in their same jobs and in the same squadron: supervising Airmen executing the Europe-3 satellite communication mission with the 7th RS. “Our daily life shouldn’t change all that much,” explained Sgt. Kim. “Comm and space have always been loosely linked, and that has resulted in an un-inhibited transition.”

Acquiring uniform items is another story. As there are only two Guardians on NAS Sigonella, stocking USSF apparel at the Navy Exchange is not a reality yet. However, they have utilized alternate procurement means to ensure they can wear the USSF OCP uniform proudly.

“We are making history here,” Sgt. Phung said. “We have the chance to build culture, not just change it. It’s a time of unhindered opportunity, and that is incredibly exciting!”

Sgt. Kim added, “I think the freedom to innovate and write the future is what drew me to this opportunity the most.”

It has not been all fun and games, however. The Space Force has faced its fair share of ridicule and skeptics. The internet went crazy when the official Space Force logo was announced last year, drawing comparisons to the Star Trek logo made famous in the Gene Roddenberry television series and its multiple spinoffs. Then, there was the term chosen for Space Force service members. The easy answer of “Spacemen” was not befitting of such a forward thinking service, and the term Guardians became the official namesake. Again, the internet went crazy, as viral memes flooded social media outlets.

Whether it’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” or “Star Lords,” the attention doesn’t bother Sgt. Phung. “I love it,” he announced. “All the publicity I see as good publicity, even if it may look like they are making fun of us. Maybe it’s even foretelling!”

For NASSIG personnel, “Joint Team” took on an expanded meaning on Feb. 5, 2021. It’s unlikely that NAS Sigonella will be onboarding a talking raccoon or a linguistically challenged tree anytime soon, but there is a fair chance that these two Guardians may settle scheduling disputes via epic dance-offs to toe-tapping retro music.

Semper Supra, Space Force Guardians, and congratulations as NAS Sigonella welcomes you aboard. You have earned the right to make history. Keep blazing trails. “To the stars!”