AFA Highlights Buckley’s Operational Perspectives at Warfare Symposium

Key leaders from three of the major Air Force and Space Force units stationed at Buckley Space Force Base constituted a discussion panel on the first day of AFA’s 2026 Warfare Symposium in Aurora, Colo. AFA’s Mile High Chapter 127 organized the panel, which was titled “Aligning Air & Space Power Operational Perspectives” and highlighted the critical missions and base support that Buckley provides.

The panel featured:

• Col. David Gallagher, Commander, Aerospace Data Facility
• Col. Jamie Pieper, Director of Staff – Air, Colorado Air National Guard
• Col. Eamon Murray, Commander, Space Base Delta 2

Stephen Gourley, the AFA Mile High Chapter’s Education Vice President, served as moderator. The session was sponsored by AT&T and attended by their representative, Kyle Mullen.

Approximately 300 of the symposium’s registrants attended the session, and contributed multiple, insightful questions for the panel to address. Cadets from Air Force ROTC Detachments 90 (Colorado State/Arnold Air Society) and 780 (South Dakota State) facilitated the audience questions.

The panelists each outlined the core missions of their respective units, then addressed their perception of the evolving threats at the tactical, operational level, all in context of the recently released National Defense Strategy. They acknowledged training and readiness are the keys to implementing the new strategy and meeting the threats, while maintaining their operation tempo.