It may be easy to forget that the GPS we use every day in our lives started as military technology to aid the warfighter in precision navigation. Nearly 40 years ago, the first Global Positioning System satellite launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. That launch, and the technology onboard, broke a major barrier. Today, GPS is used heavily by the U.S. military and the U.S. Air Force operates and maintains this critical and complex constellation of satellites, providing precise location information to both military and civilian users around the globe.