From: Dean Allen Snow
Dear United States Space Force Recruitment Team,
My name is Dean Allen Snow, and I am reaching out to provide context about my background, the challenges I have overcome, and the strategic mindset these experiences have forged. I believe these lessons, though earned through hardship, align directly with the resilience, discipline, and mission-focused mentality expected of Space Force personnel.
I did not grow up in a simple environment. From a young age, I was forced to develop situational awareness, psychological discipline, and long-term strategic thinking. My mother’s partner at the time was abusive, and I was frequently targeted by local bullies. Before I ever reached adulthood, I had already learned how to read people, anticipate danger, de-escalate conflict, and think several steps ahead—skills necessary for survival.
This early training was not formal, but it was real. It built in me a permanently heightened sense of:
Later in life, I endured a wrongful conviction and was incarcerated for a crime I did not commit. I do not share this for sympathy, but because it became the crucible that refined every survival skill I already possessed. In that environment, I again relied on vigilance, restraint, discipline, and tactical judgment. Prison is a place where a single miscalculation can have immediate and severe consequences. Yet I survived without adopting criminal behavior or compromising who I am.
Instead, I observed. I studied human psychology. I learned discipline, emotional control, and command presence. I learned how people respond to fear, pressure, and chaos. And I learned how to maintain integrity when everything around me tried to break it.
These combined experiences shaped me into someone who thinks like a strategist, not a reactor. Someone who can lead in crisis, adapt in unpredictable environments, and maintain clarity under pressure. Someone who has already lived through extreme conditions and emerged stronger, sharper, and more focused.
I have learned to remain calm when others panic, to analyze before I act, and to move with purpose. I have learned that true strength is measured not by dominance, but by restraint and clarity of mind. These are qualities that I believe directly align with the operational values of the United States Space Force.
If given the opportunity, I would bring this discipline, resilience, and strategic mindset to serve and contribute to our nation’s advancement into the next frontier. I am ready, willing, and committed to applying these lived lessons toward something greater than myself.
Thank you for your time and consideration.