After 7 years, Space Force’s first paratrooper takes to the skies

A U.S. Space Force guardian became the service’s first paratrooper after completing a joint airborne operation late last month.

Lt. Col. Mark Natale, chief strategy officer for Space Base Delta 41, completed over 36 hours of preparation, months of coordination and multiple “no-go” attempts before taking to the southwest Colorado Springs’ sky on April 24.

Natale’s family has a long history serving in the U.S. military, according to an April 14 release. Before and after World War II, his family emigrated from Italy to the U.S. and has served the nation for nearly 80 years in every branch.

His grandfather and great-grandfather served in the Army, saying “the price of being an American is to serve this country.” Natale joined the Army in 2006, aiming to become an officer and a paratrooper.

After serving as an enlisted soldier, he made it to the rank of sergeant before Officer Candidate School and commissioning, the release states.

He spent the next 18 years in the Army, with over a decade in special operations forces and 12 years overseas notched under his belt.

Once the Space Force was created in 2019 and after some influence from his wife Sonia, Natale decided to apply for an interservice transfer during the first segment of non-Air Force personnel.

“[Sonia] knew we were in the next great ‘space race’ and entering the second golden era of space dominance… I wanted to be a part of that,” Natale said in the release.

Natale searched for a way to combine his combat experience with space-based operations, the release says, which laid the foundation for the demonstration of joint interoperability.

Fast forward to last month, Natale utilized his Army experience as a senior parachutist and jumpmaster to join the 10th Special Forces Group in jumping into the Sullivan Drop Zone at Fort Carson, Colorado, from a U.S. Marine Corp KC-130 Hercules based out of Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.

“This was much more than a technical demonstration, it was a validation of our proof of concept that we can take a guardian with a unique skillset, get them cross-trained and recertified, then have them embed with an elite joint force, jump from an aircraft in flight and provide Space capabilities on the drop zone,” Natale said.

After demonstrating his abilities in the initial manifest and jumpmaster refresher, Natale highlighted that the elite forces valued his experience and requested more guardians follow his path and become embedded in their unit, the statement reads.

“I hope that this shows every guardian, regardless of rank, that we can expand our capabilities and prove to the Joint Force that we can hang with the most elite of the elite,” Natale said.

“As guardians, we need to operate outside our comfort zone. To prove that we are combat focused, we need to do what they do, train like they train and operate where they operate,” he concluded.