The Space Force Trains Guardians. Delta 13 Teaches Them Why They Fight.

Most people who know the Space Force exists assume it trains operators. People who know how to run satellites, track threats, and execute missions. What fewer people understand is that operating a system and understanding why that system matters are two entirely different things. One is a skill. The other is the foundation of a warfighter.Space is no longer a peaceful backstop for GPS and weather. It's a contested domain, one that underpins every instrument of American power, from diplomacy to the economy to combat operations. The Space Force didn't just need people who could do the job. It needed people who could explain why the job exists in the first place, and then teach that to the entire joint force, allied partners, and eventually the American public.In this episode of the Spacepower Podcast, SFA Founder and host Bill Woolf sits down with Col. Alison Gonzalez, Commander of Space Delta 13, the Space Force's dedicated education command under Space Training and Readiness Command (STARCOM), to explore why building a force of strategic thinkers is just as important as building a force of trained operators.Why the Space Force separated education from training — and what's lost when you collapse the twoWhat Delta 13 actually does: the three pillars of professional military education, continuing education, and partnership educationHow Delta 13 educates beyond Guardians — including the joint force, international allies, industry, and academiaWhy Col. Gonzalez believes seamless integration across all those partners is the long-term vision — and what stands in the wayThe role universities like Texas A&M, Arizona State, and Purdue play in developing Guardian leadersHow industry partnerships give Guardians real operational problem sets to solve — and bring solutions back to the forceThe story behind Col. Gonzalez becoming one of the first Guardians to wear and publicly demonstrate the Space Force service dress uniformHow she went from satellite operator to commanding one of STARCOM's deltas — and what she'd tell any Guardian trying to rise through the ranksWhy less than 10% of Americans know the Space Force exists — and what SFA and Delta 13 can do together to change thatEducation is the why behind everything the Space Force does. Without it, you have operators. With it, you have Guardians who understand what they're protecting and why it's worth fighting for.Hosted by Bill WoolfProduced by Ty HollidayAV by RedwireProduction Support by Emily Honhart and Omar MahmoudCol. Alison R. Gonzalez Commander, Space Delta 13, Space Training and Readiness Command (STARCOM) Col. Gonzalez assumed command of Delta 13 in July 2025, taking charge of the Space Force's education enterprise headquartered at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. Her career spans satellite operations, the National Reconnaissance Office, the National Space Defense Center, and Headquarters U.S. Space Force, where she served as Director of Staff for the Office of the Chief of Human Capital prior to taking command.Learn more about Space Delta 13: https://www.starcom.spaceforce.mil/About-Us/Units/Space-Delta-13-Education/Learn more about the U.S. Space Force: https://www.spaceforce.mil/Join SFA: https://ussfa.org/Subscribe for more conversations on spacepower, national security, and the future of the space domain.