Savannah Lassila, a senior at Munising High School, has signed with the United States Space Force, a division in the Department of the Air Force. Lassila is the first Munising student to join the Space Force and is only the third Upper Peninsula student to have been accepted.
She recently sat down for an interview, which has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Heather Nayback: What is Space Force to you?
Savannah Lassila: I’ll clear up one misconception right away: They do not go to space. They are not astronauts. The Space Force is like another level up there, so there’s no combat. It’s all intelligence jobs and cybersecurity jobs, so basically instead of defending the country on the front lines, it’s defending the country behind the scenes, on the ground. All types of stuff owned by the United States is a space for the Space Force. Even Google Earth satellites, those are all Space Force. One of the career fields I’m hoping to go into is geospatial intelligence, and that is strictly dealing with satellite imaging and figuring out what an object is in the middle of the desert. What is its purpose? Is it a danger to us? You’re dealing with technology and cybersecurity and hackers and firewalls.
Why is the Space Force for you?
I was thinking I was probably going to [Michigan] Tech and then, in January, my parents were like, “OK, what about the Air Force?” We met with the recruiter from Marquette. It was strictly just to figure out information, just to get answers, and when we were in there, [the recruiter] had the Space Force patch on his shirt. My mom had mentioned that it started back in 2019, and she asked, “So, Sergeant Bartlett, what about the Space Force? What does that look like?” He told us some of the key components, but five minutes later I was already convinced. … I thought Air Force was the way for me because it’s up my alley, but Space Force is even more up my alley. It’s more limited in certain ways — it’s obviously a lot harder to get into if they have fewer locations — but overall it’s more what I would enjoy and more what I’m seeking for my career.
What fields are you thinking of?
While I was at [Military Entrance Processing Station], I confirmed my top four. My top pick is a combination of geospatial intelligence and all-source intelligence. They create presentations and go talk to commanders about what we’ve found out. My second pick was a combination of intelligence and signals intelligence, so the intelligence stuff like that and then different frequencies. And then my third option was just geospace to heighten my chance of being able to get a job in the cybersecurity field, and that is basically dealing with the satellite imaging, so it was the closest related option in the cybersecurity career that gave me a way to stay in intelligence.
What was MEPS like?
It’s a full evaluation. I got there on a Monday, and I did my ASVAB test [scoring 94; a score of 36 is required for the Air Force], and I did the cybersecurity test. All [military] branches were at MEPS, but every branch has little different things they do. The Air Force also takes the complex reasoning exam, and I did … all those cognitive tests. Tuesday was medical, so I woke up at 3:45 a.m., and [they went over my] medical records … and they basically dissect everything. I had to read this ridiculous paragraph out loud, clearly and with correct enunciation.
Later on, I had to do an FBI screening. They fingerprint you, and they had to do a credit check for my parents and all these crazy things — basically a lot of going around and getting questioned about your entire life.
What are you excited about?
It’s scary, but also it’s just exciting — like when we were officially saying the oath and signing our contracts, committing ourselves to whatever branch. … I guess I’m just excited about it all, but my main pull for going into the military in general was the benefits both financial and just in life, and it also gives me an opportunity to have a unique experience and to see the world.
When we were officially saying the oath, I genuinely started to tear up, and it wasn’t even purposeful. It was just like I was so overwhelmed with happiness, and it just felt so surreal, and that’s when I knew it was right. … My mom and dad were both in the Air Force.
My family went out to eat after my dates were confirmed, and my mom said, “I feel like I should be scared, but I’m not. This just feels right.” And that’s kind of how it is. Everything just feels right, like it’s all terrifying because one little thing could get me rejected, one broken bone.
Where might you be stationed?
There are some publicized stations in California, Florida and in Colorado. I believe there are some bases that may be located in the D.C. area. If everything goes right, I will be leaving for basic training on June 24, 2025. The way it works is that you sign for six years, but you ultimately have to commit to eight years. Two of those will be inactive duty. I might want to stay longer, [though] I might not.
More of a personal question: Do you think God has called you to do this?
I don’t know how this is going to be used in my life, but I do feel that it is happening for a reason because it genuinely just feels right. I’m not worried about it as a whole. I’m just worried about the unknown, and ultimately everything has fallen into place perfectly. At MEPS, I was praying about it like crazy. I was just praying the whole time. I’m like, “Please, please, if this is what you want, please let me pass this blood test. Please let me score high enough!”
I’m blessed and I’ve been finding options, so this is giving me the option to have a career and have a trajectory for my life, but I think this is also giving me the opportunity I want to pursue a two- or four-year degree while I’m enlisted. I’ve been finding options where I can get something in the biblical field, so it is allowing me to have that option where I can literally learn just because I want to.
What surprised you the most? What else do you want to tell me?
I guess the numbers blew my mind. I found out that I am now 1% of the United States population that is serving our country in the military. I did not realize it was that few.
Space Force has an acceptance rate that is even more elite than Yale, which is 5%, so I did not realize that I was getting myself into this. I’m not leaving for another eight or nine months. … I will still technically not even be an adult when I leave on [June] 24th. I am accepted, and I will go as soon as a job opens for me. I just have to graduate first. Basic [training] is in Texas, and then I will be out of basic training, just in time for my birthday.
