Story by Victor Aguirre, SOCSOUTH, Feb 16, 2021.

A young mother turned on the television to entertain her son with the United States Space Shuttle launch twenty years ago. The space launch created a great impression on the child that would influence him for many years.

“Today is special for a number of reasons, as Tech. Sgt. Narain will extend his commitment to our nation through his military service by accepting his reenlistment,” said Special Operations Command South (SOCSOUTH) Commander Rear. Adm. Keith Davids. “The uniqueness of this event resides in the service transfer to the newest U.S. Military Service, the United States Space Force (USSF).”

In a reenlistment ceremony at Special Operations Command South broadcast online, Rear Adm. Davids swore in Tech. Sgt. Krishan Narain, a Cyberspace Support Technician, into the Space Force, Feb. 5. Tech. Sgt. Narain is the first Special Operations Command South service member selected for an inter-service transfer into the Space Force.

Photo: In a reenlistment ceremony at Special Operations Command South broadcast online, Rear Adm. Davids swore in Tech. Sgt. Krishan Narain, a Cyberspace Support Technician, into the Space Force on Feb. 5. Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Victor Aguirre

“It is historic for this command as he becomes the first member of SOCSOUTH to dedicate his service to this new branch,” Davids said. “Tech. Sgt. Narain joins the estimated 2,200 service members currently executing initial Space Force operations.”

“I did not think I would ever have the chance to be this close to the space mission. I’ve worked a broad career, and while I knew I could be stationed somewhere that dealt with space, being in the USSF is historic itself,” said Narain. “My personal goal is to go work for the private sector in the space realm. The work they do with launching and recovering rockets looks so easy on TV, but the hard work and creativity to get there is what I enjoy.”

SOCSOUTH’s first airman turned guardian will continue his service at SOCSOUTH as the sole Space Force representative for the command. Tech. Sgt. Narain will explore the future roles and responsibilities Space Command may assume within the Special Operations community.

Inspired by an older cousin who joined the U.S. Air National Guard as a crew chief, Narain enlisted in the U.S. Air Force on May 4, 2010, originally intending to become an aircraft maintenance specialist. Narain’s recruiter convinced him to work with cyberspace-based systems instead as it is as critical as aerial weapon systems.

“Perhaps today reflects a bit of destiny as Tech. Sgt. Narain has been passionate about space since watching a shuttle launch on TV as a young child,” Davids said.

“I was so eager to apply that within a day’s announcement of applications being accepted, my paperwork was in routing,” Narain said. “Space is a big deal and I am intrigued by the vast complexity of it.”

Additionally, Tech. Sgt. Narain was selected for promotion to Master Sgt. and will lead as a senior noncommissioned officer (NCO) in the Space Force.

“Tech. Sgt. Narain has already been selected for promotion to Master Sgt. and he will lead our new Space Force as a senior NCO,” Davids said. “He will do so, bringing his many years of experience to bear that he gained from service in places like Afghanistan, Arizona, and Nevada.”

“Space is critical to national security. Everything from bank transactions to global positioning is done through Space-based systems. Our adversaries are gaining capabilities in every warfighting domain, and the Space Force gives us a competitive edge to stay in the fight in Space,” Narain said. “It boils down to providing capabilities anywhere on Earth, allowing our warfighters to protect national security interests. A prime example is when one of our USSF Organizations were able to alert an installation in Southwest Asia of an incoming missile attack saving hundreds of service members’ lives.”

Rear Adm. Davids thanked Narain for his current and continued service in the Armed Forces and his courage as Narain joins Space Force pioneers in developing a robust space presence and expanding this warfighting domain for the U.S.

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Author: This story was originally published on February 16, 2021 by the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS) and is in the public domain. The article is by Sgt. 1st Class Victor Aguirre, Special Operations Command South, entitled “First SOCSOUTH Airman becomes a Space Force Guardian”