Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado...our success as a wing. Jan. 8, 1977 The first YC-141B (stretched C-141A Starlifter) rolls out of the Lockheed-Georgia Marietta plant. It is 23.3

PETERSON’S MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. CEREMONY IS TODAY AT THE BASE CHAPEL

INSIDEFrom the Top 2Blotter 7Pete on the Street 10Crossword 11Commentary 13

New era beginsThe Space and Missile DefenseCenter / U.S. Army StrategicCommand held a change ofcommand ceremony January 4.Page 3

Crew flies last missionMembers of the 731st Airlift Squadronflew their last mission together in Iraqover the New Year's holiday.

Page 8

Thursday, January 12, 2006 Vol. 50 No. 2

Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado

Snow Call line556-SNOW (7669)

New defensebill benefitsPeterson NCO By Tech. Sgt. Matt Gilreath21st Space Wing Public Affairs

A 21st Security Forces Squadron member is thefirst military working dog handler to be allowed toadopt her K-9 partner from active duty.

President George W. Bush signed the DefenseAppropriations Bill Dec. 30 allowing military workingdogs to retire early and be adopted by their handlersfollowing traumatic events.

Technical Sgt. Jamie Dana, 21st SFS militaryworking dog handler, has been waiting since Augustfor the official word after she requested to adopt herK-9, Rex, following an improvised explosive attack ontheir HUMVEE June 25 in Iraq.

“The past couple weeks have been hard to dealwith, so I tried to keep myself as busy as possible so Ididn’t have to think about it,” Sergeant Dana said.“Normally keeping myself busy meant being in a lotof pain in the evenings because I have a habit of push-ing myself too hard.”

Sergeant Dana said she really didn’t know how tofeel after she heard the news because of the differentopinions people have about her request to adopt Rex.

“I had mixed emotions when I found out the billhad passed. I was so happy on one hand that Rex and Icould stay together, but on the other hand I’ve heardvery hurtful things from several people,” she said.

There are several Web sites that have posted bothpositive and negative feedback concerning her adoptionof Rex, but the Air Force has backed her 100 percent.

“They were injured together and they should healtogether,” Brig. Gen. Robert Holmes, Security Forcesand Force Protection director, said.

The President’s signature was one of many need-

ed to complete the retirement and adoption process.Sergeant Dana’s signature will be one of the last on thedocument.

“I haven’t seen the paperwork yet, but I knowwhen it does arrive I’m going to feel both extremelyhappy and very relieved,” Sergeant Dana said.

Sergeant Dana shared her future plans after sheseparates from the Air Force.

“Rex will accompany me wherever I may end up(hopefully in veterinary school somewhere) and hope-fully we will be able to do some search and rescuework after I am strong enough to handle it,” she said.

Legislative data can be found on the Library ofCongress “Thomas” Web site at thomas.loc.gov.

Top: Technical Sgt. Jamie Dana, 21st SecurityForces military working dog handler, lies in criticalcondition June 25 in Iraq following an improvisedexplosive attack on the HUMVEE she was in.Right: Sergeant Dana sits with Rex during an inter-view with NBC News anchor Chip Reid at the BlackForest Animal Rescue Dec. 1.

Courtesy photo

Photo by Tech. Sgt. Matt Gilreath

Chaplains don’t even rest on SundayBy 2nd Lt. Benjamin Meier21st Space Wing Public Affairs

The phrase ‘Team Pete’isn’t just a cliché, it is anunderstanding that many peoplecontribute to the wellness ofthis installation and therebyincrease the effectiveness of ourarmed forces.

Perhaps one of the mosthard-working, under-recognizedoffices is the chaplain’s office.

Master Sgt. MarieHaynes, NCO in-charge of the

chapel is involved with helpingorganize chapel functions.

“Most of the time we pro-vide a facility in which tomeet,” Sergeant Haynes said.“We support functions rangingfrom weddings to funerals. Thechapel also hosts functions andmeetings, including SundaySchool, boy scouts, girl scouts,home-schooling parent discus-sions and education classes.”

Another service the chap-lains offer is free counselingsessions.

“There is more to being achaplain than Sunday servic-es,” said Chaplain (Lt. Col.)William Wade, acting wingchaplain and IMA reservist.“Not many people know wehave an on-duty chaplainavailable 24 hours a day,seven days a week.”

The on-duty chaplainresponds to the needs of thebase. They are here to help ifthere is domestic violence, sui-cide or any other crisis where

See Chaplain, Page 7

Photo by 2nd Lt. Benjamin MeierChaplain (Capt.) Robert Ward, senior Protestant chaplain,counsels a Team Pete member. Chaplains provide 24-hours a day on-call counseling.

and our tenantswith world-classsupport” is more

than the serviceswe provide to our-

selves and our partners;it’s also anti-terrorism andforce protection.

The United States’longest involvement in warwas World War II. Ourinvolvement began Dec. 8,1941 and ended 1,341 dayslater on Sept. 2, 1945. For1,492 days, since Sept. 11,2001, we have been fightingthe Global War on

Terrorism; already 152 dayslonger than World War II.

The reality is our nation has beenat war since 1990; therefore, anti-ter-rorism and force protection need to beat the forefront, and we need to devel-op a protection strategy that will sus-tain us well into the future. Our goal is

to take a proactive approach to know-ing our needs, as well as the needs ofour partners, and support each mission.

The 50th Space Wing, 302dAirlift Wing, Air Force SpaceCommand Headquarters, U.S.Northern Command-North AmericanAerospace Defense CommandHeadquarters and Space and MissileDefense Command and Army StrategicCommand have varied missions – buteach make an invaluable contributionto our national security. They need ourhelp, support, care and protection tocomplete their missions.

Whether it’s providing qualitycustomer service and care, or protec-tion of a facility, each of us plays avital role in our wing’s priority to “sat-isfy and protect ourselves and our ten-ants with world-class support.” It’s aresponsibility each of us must under-stand and willingly support to ensureour success as a wing.

Jan. 8, 1977

The first YC-141B (stretched C-

141A Starlifter) rolls out of the

Lockheed-Georgia Marietta plant. It

is 23.3 feet longer than the origi-

nal C-141A and capable of in-flight

refueling.

Jan. 8, 1986

Military Airlift Command accepts

delivery of its first C-5B Galaxy at

Altus AFB, Okla.

Jan. 9, 1976

The U.S. Air Force’s first opera-

tional F-15 Eagle, the new air supe-

riority fighter aircraft, arrives at

1st Tactical Fighter Wing, Langley

AFB, Va.

SPACE OBSERVERThursday, January 12, 20062

Published by Colorado Springs Military Newspapers Group, 31 E. Platte Avenue, Suite 300, Colorado Springs, 80903, a private firm in no way connected with the U.S. Air Force, under exclusive written contract with the21st Space Wing. This commercial enterprise Air Force newspaper is an authorized publication for members of the U.S.military services.

Contents of the Space Observer are not necessarily the official views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Government,the Department of Defense or the Department of the Air Force.

The appearance of advertising in this publication, including inserts or supplements, does not constitute endorsement by DoD, the Department of the Air Force, or CSMNG, of the products or services advertised. Everythingadvertised in this publication shall be made available for purchase, use or patronage without regard to race, color, reli-gion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, physical handicap, political affiliation or any other non-merit factor ofthe purchaser, user or patron.

Editorial content is edited, prepared and provided by the 21st Space Wing Public Affairs Office, 775 Loring Ave., Suite 218, Peterson AFB, Colo., 80914-1294, (719) 556-4351 or DSN 834-4351, fax (719) 556-7848 orDSN 834-7848. All photographs are Air Force photographs unless otherwise indicated.

The Space Observer is published every Thursday. For advertising inquiries, call Colorado Springs MilitaryNewspapers, (719) 634-5905. Employees of Peterson Air Force Base who want to place a free classifiedadvertisement should call 329-5236.

Articles for the Space Observer should be submitted to the 21st SW/PAI, Attn: Space Observer. For submissiondetails call the editor at (719) 556-4351 or DSN 834-4351 or e-mail [email protected]. Deadline for sub-mission is 4:30 p.m. the Thursday one week before publication. All articles, copy and announcements submitted willbe edited to conform to AFI Series 35 and the Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual.

21st Space WingCommander

Col.Jay G. Santee

Chief of Public AffairsCapt. Amy Sufak

Editorial StaffEditor

Senior AirmanShawn Clements

Staff Writer2nd Lieutenant

Ben Meier

Layout and DesignJeff Adcox

A Moment in Time

By Col. Jay G. Santee21st Space Wing commander

The 21st Space Wing prioritieswill guide us along a successful path inaccomplishing our mission, “Conductworld-class space superiority opera-tions and provide unsurpassed installa-tion support and protection whiledeploying warrior Airmen,” and ourvision, “Strength and Preparedness toSave the Nation.” As an Airman in the21st Space Wing, you need to under-stand our priorities and the role youplay in our success.

21st Space Wing Commander’sPriorities:

Conduct world-class space superi-ority operations

Take care of our people – ensurethey get what they’ve earned

Satisfy and protect ourselves and

our tenants withworld-class support

Deploy warriorAirmen

Prepare for future capa-bilities, threats, and oppor-tunities

Mature space commandand control relationships

“Satisfy and protectourselves and our tenantswith world-class support”could mean providing out-standing customer serviceat the military personnelflight, or quality patient carein our clinics. It could also include theopening of the new Base Exchange andCommissary Complex at Pete East,allowing us to better serve our largeactive-duty and retired populations.However, “satisfy and protect ourselves

Col.Jay G. Santee

Commander describes eachAirman’s role toward mission

Action Line

Submitting Action Lines The Action Line is a direct link to the 21st Space Wing commander. It should

be used when other avenues have failed. Concerns should be addressed at the low-est possible level in the chain of command and elevated as necessary.

If satisfactory results have not been attained by addressing the chain of com-mand, call the Action Line at 556-7777 or fax 556-7848.

Though not required, Action Line users should leave point-of-contact infor-mation when submitting an Action Line. This will allow those who are addressingthe concern to clarify the information and respond, if necessary. Not all respons-es are printed; however, if information allows, a response will be rendered inanother format.

Question:Who is responsible for the maintenance on the

sidewalk out east? The sidewalk is full of sand, thereare a number of three-inch wide cracks in the pave-ment, which are dangerous to runners, walkers andbikers, and it has animal waste on it. I know therehasn’t been any maintenance for at least six weeks.

Answer:The 21st Space Wing commander is responsi-

ble for the Pete East jogging trail. He has asked thethe 21st Services Squadron to help him with this

endeavor. Repairs to the asphalt are accomplishedby the 21st Civil Engineer Squadron EquipmentShop. We rely on the 21st SVS and customers suchas you to inform us if there is a problem. We hopethose who use the trail accept some measure ofindividual responsibility to report unsafe situationsjust as you have done. The weather in Colorado isharsh and takes a toll on asphalt surfaces. If youdrive much around this area you will note the potholes that never seem to go away. It requires con-stant manpower and materials to keep up; however,

as soon as we received your action line, we dis-patched a crew and repaired the cracks you men-tioned. We have initiated some erosion control proj-ects to minimize sand washing down on the trailand will continue to do so as funds and manpowerare made available.

Further, we hope those who bring their petsalong will clean up after them out of respect for theirfellow joggers, not only on the jogging trail, but basewide. If you encounter a similar problem in thefuture, call the 21st CES at 556-4030.

SPACE OBSERVERThursday, January 12, 2006 3

www.peterson.af.mil

Off-duty interests, hob-bies: I really enjoy hang-ing out with my friends,playing different sports,games and going out toclubs.Why did you join the AirForce? I joined the AirForce because I was notsure what I wanted to doright away. I figured thisway, not only do I get afour year extension, but I also get totravel the world and go to college.What inspires you to do what youdo? I am inspired by the thought ofa future full of hope and establish-

ment. However, I ammostly inspired by beingable to help my countryduring times of need.Favorite part of yourjob? The best thingabout my job is finallylearning how to cook andmaking friends with themany people of the serv-

ices team.What goals have you

set? My first goal is to learn tobe an awesome cook, but moreimportantly I want to get a collegedegree to be successful in orout of the Air Force.

PPeak Peak PerformererformerName/Rank: Airman Daniel Voiselle

Organization: 21st Services SquadronDuty title: food service apprentice

Time in service: 10 monthsHometown: Thornton, Colorado

Airman DanielVoiselle

New era begins at ARSTRATBy Sharon HartmanSpace and Missile Defense Center/U.S. Army Forces Strategic Command Public Affairs

Without the customary flare ofthe passing of a flag, a new era beganwithin the Space and Missile DefenseCommand/U.S. Army Forces StrategicCommand.

Colonel Roger Mathews took thetorch as the SMDC/ARSTRAT deputycommander of operations, from Brig.Gen. Jeffrey Horne during a ceremonyJan. 4 at the base auditorium.

Lieutenant Gen. Larry Dodgen,SMDC/ ARSTRAT commanding gener-al, hosted the ceremony.

During his remarks, General

Dodgen commended Colonel Mathewson his past accomplishments andencouraged him in his future role with-in the command.

“I challenge you and I chargeyou with the responsibility of main-taining the operational side of thiscommand and the welfare of Soldiers,their families, civilians and the opera-tional missions from U.S. StrategicCommand and from the United StatesArmy,” General Dodgen said. “Eventhough we have not passed a flag, youare hereby officially charged withthose responsibilities”

Upon accepting his newresponsibility, Colonel Mathewsremarked on his previous dealings with

SMDC/ARSTRAT andhis excitement in join-ing the command.

“General Dodgen,I thank you for the trustand confidence forallowing me to serve inthis dynamic andimportant organization… it’s an outstandingorganization that isbringing cutting edgespace technology towarfighters to enablethem to decisively winour nation’s wars,”Colonel Matthews said.

“I had a chanceto witness SMDC’scontributions f irst-hand during OperationIraqi Freedom. Whiledeployed to Israel witht h e 6 9 t h A i r D e -fense Brigade, SMDCSoldiers provided first-class support,” Colonel

Team Pete congratulates the following 21st Space Wing airmen firstclass on selection for Below The Zone, early promotion to senior airman, forthe 4th Quarter:

Jennifer Vorhies, 21st Security Forces Squadron; Benjamin Baird, 21stSFS; Joseph Kozak, 21st Space Communications Sqaudron; Shavena Anderson-Wright, 21st Aeromedical Dental Squadron; Michael Ruggiero, 21st ADOS;Angel Montes, 13th ASOS; Phillip Brown, 721st Communications Squadron;and Sheron Wright, 21st SCS.

Team Pete congratulates the Airmen promoted in the first ceremony of 2006:The following Senior Airmen have been promoted to Staff Sgt.:Staff Sergeants Carlos Cortez, 21st Civil Engineer Squadron; Chase

Funke, 21st SFS; Micki Erdelac, 21st Operations Support Squadron; RudyOrtiz, 21st CES; Muriel Reid, 1st Space Control Squadron; Adriana Soltero,North American Aerospace Defense Command; Torrance Townsend, 21st CES.

The following Staff Sergeants have been promoted to Technical Sgt.:Technical Sergeants Lawrence Cantrell, 21st Dental Squadron; Clifford

Collins, NORAD; Charles Fears 21st CES; Michael Fuentes, 12th SpaceWarning Squadron; Robert Gonder, 21st Operations Group; Helena Manwiller,21st Medical Operations Squadron; David McDonald, 76th SPCS; RaymondWarman, 21st CES.

The following Technical Sergeants have been promoted to Master Sgt.:Master Sergeants Sheron Carr, 21st Space Wing; James Delbridge, 76th

SPCS; Robert Goble, 21st SCS; Gary Johnson, 21st Medical OperationsSquadron; Susan Kittel, 721st CS; Scott McKenzie, 76th SPCS; MatthewMorris, AFSPC Civil Engineer FT; Alfred Rhodes, DET 4; Eugene Thomas,12th Air Support Operations Squadron; Christopher Thompson, 13th ASOS.

The following Master Sergeants have been promoted to Senior Master Sgt.:Senior Master Sergeants Brian Curtis, Air Force Space Command; Tracy

Putt, 21st DS; Juan Vasquez, AFSPC.

Matthews said. “They did a fantastic jobof using space operations, space-basedcapabilities and missile warning to helpus and other coalition forces succeed inbattle. It’s great to be joining a commandthat makes such a difference.”

Colonel Mathews came toSMDC/ARSTRAT from Fort Bliss,Texas, where he served as the deputycommander of U.S. Army Air DefenseArtillery Center assistant commandant.

General Dodgen also spoke ofthe many successes achieved underGeneral Horne’s leadership.

“From ensuring space-basedcapabilities are embedded at criticallevels in support of joint warfighters,to laying the foundation for the futureof the Army space cadre, you can beextremely proud of what your teamhas accomplished during your tour

here in Colorado Springs,” GeneralDodgen said.

In his farewell remarks to themembers of SMDC/ARSTRAT, GeneralHorne spoke about his thoughts on Iraqand his vision of the U.S. role in the war.General Horne’s next assignment is tothe Multi-National Corps-Iraq as thejoint fires and effects chief.

“We’re bringing freedom to apeople that have not experienced it in avery, very long time,” General Hornesaid. “We’re working to give every citi-zen there an opportunity to raise theirchildren in a safe environment, to beable to play in their front yards withoutfear of gunfire, to be free to practice (hisor her) faith and to be free to build theircountry. These are simple goals andones we founded our country on.”

Courtesy photoRight: Colonel Roger Matthews, the new Space andMissile Defense Center/U.S. Army Forces StrategicCommand operations deputy commander, speakswith Chief Warrant Officer Chris Wehmeier during awelcome reception Jan. 4 at the base auditorium.Colonel Mathews’ position is the equivelant to aNumbered Air Force deputy commander.

Courtesy photoLieutenant Gen. Larry Dodgen, Space and Missile Defense Command/U.S.Army Forces Strategic Command commanding general, presents Brig. Gen.Jeffrey Horne, former SMDC/ARSTRAT deputy commanding general for oper-ations, the Legion of Merit award during a ceremony Jan. 4.

The 21st Services Squadron Web site, the gateway to fun,excitement and an incredible array of quality services.

www.21svs.com


Military, civilian medals approved for hurricane relief workRANDOLPH AIR FORCE

BASE, Texas — Servicemembersand civilians who took part inHurricane Katrina and HurricaneRita relief efforts may be eligiblefor a medal.

The director of the Joint Staffhas approved awarding theHumanitarian Service Medal andthe Armed Forces Service Medalfor U.S. military personnel.Department of Defense civiliansmay receive the Armed ForcesCivilian Service Medal.

To qualify for the HSM, ser-vicemembers must have provideddirect support to immediate reliefoperations for at least one day in thearea of eligibility – east of andincluding Houston (designated as96 degrees longitude), Alabama,Louisiana or Mississippi – from Aug.29 to Oct. 13.

Servicemembers eligible toreceive the AFSM and civilians whoqualify for the AFCSM must haveprovided direct support to reliefoperations for 30 consecutive daysor 60 nonconsecutive days in thecontinental United States from Aug.27 to Feb. 27 – minus the specificarea and time-period used to qualifyfor the HSM.

If a member receives an HSMfor Katrina relief operations, he orshe cannot receive a second HSM forRita. The same applies for theAFSM. However, people who receivethe HSM may later qualify for theAFSM if their direct support does notinclude the dates and actions used intheir qualifications for the HSM.

Eligible Air Force personnelmust provide proof of entitlement totheir servicing military personnelflight or civilian personnel office.Supporting documentation may con-sist of assignment orders, temporaryduty orders or travel vouchers, a dec-oration citation, an enlisted or officerperformance report reflecting partic-ipation or other official documenta-tion that verifies participation.

Any colonel in a command billetor civilian equivalent can approve theawarding of these medals if support-ing documentation is not available.

Once verified, the servicingmilitary or civilian personnel flightwill update individual records. Forinformation, call the MPF at 556-1716 or CPF at 556-4775.

(Courtesy of Air ForcePersonnel Center News Service)

RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas – Homes near theTexas-Louisiana border lie damaged or destroyed followingthe pounding they took from Hurricane Rita's wind and rain.The homes were in an area searched by the 349th AirExpeditionary Group. The search-and-rescue unit, stagingfrom here, is made up of active-duty and Reserve forces.

Photo by Tech. Sgt. Jason Tudor


www.peterson.af.mil

Space control squadron protects U.S. beyond earthBy Senior Master Sgt. Rocky Belmontes 1st Space Control Squadron

When China became a member of the exclusive“Manned Space” club, extra precautions became nec-essary to protect the lives of the Taikonauts, Chineseastronauts, from orbiting satellites and space debris.

When man started to put objects into space, itbecame a priority to study the movement of theseobjects in order to prevent collisions. Space objectconjunction analysis is the study of objects in spacein order to prevent collisions.

In compliance with Article V of the Treaty onthe Principles Governing the Activities of States inthe Exploration and Use of Outer Space, Includingthe Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, the U.S. gov-ernment offered to provide the Chinese governmentwith space object conjunction analysis. The U.S. StateDepartment offers to relay the real-time conjunctionanalysis. Conjunction analysis is provided by the 1stSpace Control Squadron Space Analysis Center inColorado Springs, Colo.

Like the Space Shuttle and the InternationalSpace Station, 1st SPCS gathers the predicted orbitpath of the Shenzhou-6 spaceship and runs a con-junction assessment of the more than 13,000 man-made space objects orbiting the Earth. This processshould be done every eight hours for the duration

of the space flight. Leading the team was DavidWard, 1st SPCS space protection and collisionavoidance officer.

Unfortunately, the information flow did not goas planned. The Chinese confirmed one vector on theday of launch, which was only accurate for the firstsix hours of flight. Although it was requested, no fur-ther positional information was received. Mister Wardand his team were in a time crunch and had to per-form split-second calculations to warn the Chinese ofany potential dangers to the mission.

Using real-time observations from 30 spacesurveillance sensors both on the ground and orbit-ing, Mr. Ward used the positional data of all 13,000space objects and compared them to the position ofthe Shenzhou-6.

In addition, the spacecraft’s projected orbit waspredicted 72 hours ahead, checking to see if anyspace object penetrated an imaginary ellipse sur-rounding the Shenzhou-6. Should any object enter the“box,” the sensors were tasked to increase their track-ing and produce refined positional data for thoseobjects. This information could help the Shenzhou-6maneuver out of harms way.

The process for a single screening against theentire satellite catalog takes many hours. Even withthe high-speed computers, vectors based on spaceand time are labor intensive and require capable

analytical skills on orbital mechanics to interpret theresults. Mister Ward and his team, having per-formed similar projections for NASA, were up tothe challenge.

On the second day in orbit, the Shenzhou-6 per-formed an unannounced maneuver – increasing alti-tude. Mister Ward and his crew spotted the changeand adjusted the sensor tracks and collision predic-tions accordingly. Again, they had to plot the space-craft’s vector against all the orbiting space objects inreal-time. Luckily, after nearly five days and 76orbits, no space objects placed the Shenzhou-6 andthe Taikonauts in danger.

On Oct. 16th, the operations crew at 1st SPCStracked the Shenzhou-6 separating into two parts –a manned capsule and an orbital module. Themanned capsule successfully de-orbited and landedsafely in Mongolia.

Mister Ward is still tracking the orbital module,which is expected to remain in orbit for another sixmonths. He is tracking it to ensure it doesn’t pose adanger to the International Space Station, the spaceshuttle or any other satellites.

Mister Ward said he, his team of satellite ana-lysts and the 1st SPCS believe protecting humanlife goes far beyond the boundary of borders – it’stheir mission.

https://commweb.hill.af.mil/AMT/

The complete Airman’s Manual is now available online! Browse sections for review or test yourknowledge of today’s Air Forcewith online quizzes.


Congressional lobbyist visits PetersonJames Lokovic, Air Force Sergeants Association

deputy executive director and director, military andgovernment relations, will discuss current legislativeissues at 9 a. m. Jan. 24 at the Enlisted Club. As oneof three AFSA’s registered lobbyists, Mr. Lokovic reg-ularly testifies before Congress on military benefitsand is AFSA’s primary liaison to the office of the ChiefMaster Sergeant of the Air Force. This event is open toall personnel. For information, call Senior Master Sgt.Richard Redman at 554-8329.

Family Services needs volunteersThe Family Services is a volunteer group that

assists families who are relocating by loaning themhousehold items and providing information on mili-tary installations and layettes for new babies of ser-vicemembers, ranks E-5 and below. The group is locat-ed in Building 350. Office hours are from 9 a.m. to 3p.m. Monday through Friday. For information or ifanyone is interested in volunteering for FamilyServices, call 556-7832 or 556-6141.

Guard unit announces vacanciesThe 109th Airlift Wing in Scotia, N.Y. has

Traditional Guard vacancies in many career fields.For information, call (800) 524-5070, e-mail [email protected] or visit www.skibird .com.

Award luncheon date setThe 21st Space Wing 2005 Communications and

Information Professionals of the Year awards lunch-eon begins at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday at the OfficersClub. The awards recognize Air Force servicemem-bers, civilian employees, teams and units for sustainedsuperior performance while providing communica-tions and information services and support to AirForce and Department of Defense missions and oper-ations. For information, call 2nd Lt. Ryan Bliss at474-2002 or e-mail [email protected] or call Senior Master Sgt. Ryan Gates at 474-

3927 or e-mail [email protected].

Local school district seeksscience fair judges

Harrison School District Two is looking for 150judges for three upcoming science fairs. Each fair willneed about 50 judges. The science fairs will be heldJan. 19 at Fox Meadow and Jan. 26 at Carmel. Judgingwill take place from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. For information,call Jason Katzmann at 579-3204 or e-mail [email protected].

USAFA calls for track, field officials The U.S. Air Force Academy is in need of track

and field officials. For information or to sign up, callScott Irving, head field event coach and coordinator ofofficials for USAFA at [email protected] or at333-3013.

Peterson Clinic announces closuresThe Peterson Clinic will be closed Saturday

through Monday due to electrical maintenance.

Black Heritage Committeeannounces meeting

The Black Heritage Committee will meet from11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Jan. 19 at the Enlisted Club.The meetings will be held every third Thursday of themonth. For information, call Master Sgt. LillianSumpter at 556-1229 or Master Sgt. Kenneth Sessomsat 556-0432.

Medical Group implements new processThe 21st Medical Group will implement a new

process to help prevent the transmission of infectiousdiseases. The group asks that patients with potentiallyinfectious diseases like weeping bumps not covered byclothing; rash with fever; coughing up blood or expo-sure to tuberculosis; SARS; chicken pox; or avian flu,use only the main entrance to enter the clinic. A redtelephone has been installed outside of the frontentrance to both Peterson and Schriever medical clin-

ics to provide a direct line to medical personnel. Thered phone is intended to be used only by people whohave potentially infectious conditions. This new proce-dure is being implemented to help protect staff andpatient population from infectious diseases.

Counselor offers informationon benefit plan

The Survivor Benefit Plan was developed to meetthe needs of families for continuous income protectionfollowing a servicemember’s death. It is a non-profitannuity program administered by the government.Coverage is free while the member is active-duty. Afterretirement, monthly premiums are held in the MilitaryRetirement System Trust Fund and benefits are paid toeligible survivors from that fund. As a result, the retireehas the assurance of a well-managed program withouthaving to pay administrative expenses. Prior to retiring,servicemembers have the opportunity to enroll in theSBP. For information, call Warren McCoy at 556-4229.

NAF Lodging sale continuesThe Jan. 4 Non-Appropriated Funds lodging sale

has been extended through Tuesday. Shoppers can pur-chase items 9 to 11 a.m. Monday through Friday atservices readiness, Building 620. For information, call556-7851 ext. 2032 or 492-0910.

The next large-scale NAF lodging sale will beheld from 8 a.m. to noon Wednesday, at the one-bed-room Temporary Lodging Facilities, buildings 1091and 1092. Items available for sale include entertain-ment centers, sofa sleepers, dining room tables, sidechairs and televisions.

Once an item is purchased, cash or check, it mustbe taken away from the sale area immediately. Therewill be assistance available to help shoppers move pur-chased items to their vehicle. No ‘hold’ signs will beplaced on any item for pick-up at a later time.

Complete eligibility and purchase details are list-ed in the January-February edition of “Good Stuff ” andin the “PeteLife” pages in the Jan. 5 Space Observer.


www.peterson.af.mil

Tools reported stolen tosecurity forces

Two tool bags worth approximate-ly $500 each were reported stolen tosecurity forces after the owner noticedthey had been taken from the back of histruck. The bags were locked in the backof his truck and are still missing.

Security foils shopliftersSecurity personnel at the Base

Exchange noticed a suspicious personselect a bottle of cologne from theshelf and attempt to take it to customerservice and return it for a gift card.Security at the BX noticed the sameman trying to do this a few daysearlier with a pair of shoes, only tochange his mind at the last minute.Colorado Springs police were noti-

fied and arrested the suspect.

Dog attacks unsuspectingvictim

American Medical Response wascalled in response to a dog attack. Thevictim said they were walking the fam-ily dog when out of nowhere a dogattacked them from behind. It waslater determined that the dog dug ahole in the backyard and crawledunder the fence. The victim said thathe attempted to protect his dog fromthe attacking dog and was bit in theupper arm in the process.

Suspicious individual runsfrom patrolman

A security forces member noticeda suspicious person and tried to talkto him. The person ran off and the

patrolman was unable to apprehendhim. Keep your Eagle Eyes open forsuspicious persons.

Wandering drunk harassesservicemember

A servicemember called the policesaying that an unknown person hadentered her residence. The man left herhome on foot. A security forces memberinitiated a search for the man. Whenadvised of his rights, the man was toodrunk to understand them. The service-member who noticed the man enter herhouse positively identified him. He wascharged with disorderly conduct.

Drinking, driving leadsto arrest

A servicemember called securityforces saying that a vehicle was in aparking lot driving very erratically.When a security forces member arrived,he noticed the strong odor of alcoholemanating from the driver’s breath.When CSPD arrived, the driver refusedto do a sobriety test.

The driver and the passengerswere transported to 21st Security Forces

Squadron and given breath alcohol tests.One of the passengers was underage.Don’t drink and drive. Not only can itkill careers, it could kill you.

Use proper restraints foryour children

A suspect was stopped at the WestGate for failure to have the properrestraints for his child. We have aresponsibility to protect our childrenfrom injury. It is irresponsible not to putthem in safety seats when traveling withthem in the car.

Streaker nabbed bysecurity forces

A patrolmen noticed a man walk-ing outside without his clothes on. Twopatrolmen apprehended the suspect andtook him to the security forces commandcenter. When asked why he was outsidewithout clothes on, the suspect statedthat this was the second time he has donethis. He was streaking because he want-ed to see if it could be done withoutbeing caught. The suspect was advisedof his rights and put in jail for failure tofollow good order and discipline.

someone may need counseling.“We are there to help those who

are in emotional pain,” said Chaplain(Capt.) Robert Ward, senior Protestantchaplain. “We are there to give privi-leged counseling to anyone rangingfrom the victim to the rescuer.”

The chaplains also handle a widevariety of issues within the community.

“What people see on the religious

side is only one day of the seven-dayweek,” Chaplain Ward said. “The othersix days are spent taking care of any-one who may have an issue they needhelp with.”

The chaplains are constantly busycounseling those who need help,including those who have a differentfaith or no faith at all.

“We do not impose our beliefs onanyone we may counsel,” ChaplainWard said. “We will take care of any-one regardless of their beliefs.”

Perhaps the most unique attributeof the chaplain’s office is the privilegedcounseling they offer.

“We have taken a vow to keep ourcounseling sessions nonjudgmental andsecret,” Chaplain Ward said. “You cantell me anything awful you have doneor may do and I am not allowed to dis-close that information.”

Each chaplain is assigned a unitso that on-duty crises can be handledby a personal face.

“We try to remain visible,”

Chaplain Ward said. “Getting to knowour people and getting involved in theirlives is our job.”

The chaplains say they feel a call-ing to help those in uniform who areputting their lives on the line. They arethe emotional and spiritual guardians ofTeam Pete.

“We hope you will never need us,like a lifeguard,” Chaplain Ward said.“But we are always there if you do.”

For more information or to speakto a chaplain, call 556-4442.

Chaplains, from Page 1


Peterson Reserve aircrew bring New Year in over Iraq By Master Sgt. Lance CheungAir Force Print News

SOUTHWEST ASIA – Peoplearound the globe welcomed 2006with a variety of New Year’s Evecelebrations.

High above Iraq, a Reserve C-130Hercules aircrew headed for Balad AirBase, Iraq, celebrated in a different

way: flying one more mission in sup-port of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

With the drone of the aircraft’sfour propellers in the background,Senior Master Sgt. Ernie Leyba, 746thExpeditionary Airlift Squadron,attached his night-vision gear to hisflight helmet. It was nearly pitch blackon the flight deck, except for the palegreen glow of the instrument lights.

Photo by Master Sgt. Lance CheungSOUTHWEST ASIA – Reserve navigator Maj. Eric Heftye keeps his C-130Hercules on course during a New Year’s Eve mission to Balad Air Base. Thecrew delivered 13 passengers and 13,000 pounds of cargo. Members of theAir Force Reserve Command’s 731st Airlift Squadron, the crew is ending aSouthwest Asia tour with the 746th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron.

But it didn’t stop the flight engineer. Since Thanksgiving Day, the crew

from the 731st Airlift Squadron atPeterson Air Force Base, Colo., hasmade flying in and out of the combatzone under the cloak of night a standardoperating procedure. It has become aseasy as lacing up their flight boots.

They know it’s a holiday, but theycan’t forget the seriousness of their mis-sion. Tonight, their 13,000-pound loadincludes 13 passengers, oxygen, mailand a sobering pallet of human blood.

In the cargo bay, Staff Sgt. JasonHall, 746th EAS loadmaster, took amoment to remember past New Year’sEve celebrations. He thought of skiingwith his girlfriend at Breckenridge,Colo. But he could not forget his job,so he kept a sharp eye on the terrainbelow and behind the aircraft.

Part of Sergeant Hall’s duties is towatch for incoming missile attacks. Ifhe spots a “hot one,” he’ll fire chaffand flares to hopefully confuse andsidetrack the missile.

Staff Sgt. Kevin Nichols, 746thEAS loadmaster, kept an eye on thepassengers.

“One passenger looked at hiswatch and mentioned to the others whowere awake, that it was the New Year,”Sergeant Nichols said. “A few grinnedbefore dozing back to sleep.”

In an hour, the cargo plane wouldland at Balad. During the hubbub of

safely offloading their cargo, the crewwould not have time to think aboutwhat the New Year might bring.

In the meantime – on the flightdeck – Maj. Eric Heftye celebrated theNew Year by passing around some fudgehis grandmother made for him. Then heattached the night vision goggles to hishelmet. The navigator then entered coor-dinates into the onboard navigation sys-tem. His fingers were a blur as he deftlyentered the numbers. The pilots had anew path to central Iraq.

The plane continued towardBalad. The route was familiar and thecrew had the routine down pat. Thismission marked the end of more thanjust 2005. It was also the last missionthe crew would make together.

Their deployment was coming toan end. Two of the officers are headedhome to begin staff duties. Some of thecrew will redeploy back to Coloradoand return to their daily lives.

In between bites of fudge, MajorHeftye said he’d miss working with thiscrew, though they all work togetherback home.

“Reservists are already familiarwith unit members,” he said. “Butthese couple of months allowed us tostrengthen those bonds, create reallygood workflows and build friendships.”

Other Airmen – active duty,Reserve and Guard – will continuedoing the same in 2006.


www.peterson.af.mil


Team Pete on the Street“What is your New Year’s resolution and how is it going so far.”

“I’m just living thelife. I’m trying towork out more, buteverything is goingwell right now.”

– Chief Master Sgt.Eric Cook,

302nd LogisticsSquadron

Operations superintendent

“I’m trying to get inbetter shape. I’m nottrying to lose anyweight, but I’m not inthe same shape Iwas 5 years ago. I’mworking on it.”

– Mike McDonald,Space and Missile

Center deputy chief of

logistics readiness

“I’m trying to stopsmoking. I’m doingwell. So far I’ve onlyhad 4 or 5 since thefirst.”

– Senior AirmanGregory Clay,

21st Medical GroupX-ray technician

“I’m going to try toget fit, spend lessmoney and get accli-mated to the area.So far I have 2 creditcards paid off!”

– Capt. CristinaDeakin,

NORAD-NORTHCOMexecutive officer

for J26

“As a couple, we’re getting back to the gym andnot get on each other’s nerves as much. We’re offto a wonderful start.”

– Staff Sgt. Abbey Hobdy, 10th Medical Operations Squadron medic,

U.S. Air Force Academy– Staff Sgt. Aaron Hobdy,

3rd Space Operations Squadron crew chief

Compiled by 2nd Lieutenant Ben Meier

With Eagle Eyes, anycommunity member canreport suspicious activi-ties 24 hours a day bycalling the law enforce-

ment desk at 556-4000.


www.peterson.af.mil

Unique mission exposes systems vulnerabilitiesBy Michael KleimanAir Force Research Laboratory Public Affairs

KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. – Threeto four-times per year, a select group seeks to revealpotential weaknesses in the Department of Defense’scurrent and future space systems.

This group, the Space CountermeasuresHands-on Program also known as Space CHOP, –consisting of junior U.S. military officers and feder-al government employees – using open source data-bases such as the Internet and libraries, to achievetheir objectives.

Space CHOP is the recognized leader in emu-lating the terrorist and rogue nation threat. It is runby just one Air Force civilian engineer, with assis-

tance from two contracted consultants.“Space CHOP gives a unique and incompara-

ble look at the customer’s potential vulnerabilitiesfrom an asymmetric viewpoint,” said JohnHolbrook, Air Force Research Laboratory SpaceVehicles Directorate aerospace engineer and chief ofspace countermeasures.

Space CHOP is the second “CHOP” type organ-ization in AFRL. The first was organized in the early1990s, and worked strictly for the Ballistic MissileDefense Organization. This CHOP worked on expos-ing possible flaws in the proposed space-based shieldto protect the nation from nuclear missile attacks,which comprised part of the Reagan Administration’sStrategic Defense Initiative. The CHOP conceptproved successful, so the present Space CHOP wasformed in 1999. Space CHOP was available to anymilitary or government organization in need of a ter-rorist-threat assessment. The MDA CHOP closed in2003, leaving Space CHOP as the focus of all suchopen-source terrorist threat emulation.

The Space CHOP’s client base and number ofscheduled missions expanded following the terroristattacks on Sept. 11, 2001. The Air Force’s Space andMissile Systems Center began funding the programa few months later. AFRL’s Space VehiclesDirectorate continuing administrative oversight.

The awareness level of the threat to U.S. systemsposed by terrorist threats has increased dramatically.

“The nature of our enemy has changed. SpaceCHOP allows our customers to see themselvesthrough the eyes of their adversaries,” said PeteWithers, Navy Reserve intelligence officer andUniversal Technologies Corp Space CHOP manage-ment consultant.

About four months in duration, a standard pro-gram mission involves four Air Force junior officerswith specific academic backgrounds. “Most of ourmissions are quite technical in nature, so I mostly pick

volunteers with engineering or physical sciencedegrees. Some missions have policy aspects to them,so I like to add a non-techie, in those cases. That mix-ture has worked out very well,” Mr. Holbrook said.

Regardless of academic background, the fourAirmen have no prior knowledge of the designatedmilitary space system, but determine its vulnerabili-ty to terrorist threats employing common, Web-based investigative methods.

“We don’t want officers with inside knowledgeon our missions, because the whole purpose is tosee what an outside group, from anywhere in theworld, can discern about our systems,” said GeorgeDietrich, Booz Allen Hamilton Space CHOP man-agement consultant.

The Space CHOP organization identifies therules of engagement to the participants and client atthe onset of each session. Upon mission completion,the customer agency receives a formal, classified pres-entation and report as well as a list of what the teamfound in open to the public source documentation.

“By using fresh teams for each mission, weassure our customer we are not duplicating images, aproblem that can affect intelligence analysts,” Mr.Withers said. “Our young guys have no preconceivednotions, and so have not developed any biases.”

As the program expands, it remains primarilyfocused on protecting the U.S. military’s assets.

“We are growing, but we’re not forgetting wherewe come from,” said program chief Holbrook. “Weare the only government organization that does open-source simulated terrorism employing a non-expertteam,” he continued. “Space CHOP is a uniqueorganization. It’s important to note we don’t replacetraditional vulnerability analysis, we complement it.When the leadership fuses the two types of analysestogether, the result is the best possible insight intoenemy capabilities and intentions,” he said.

Courtesy photoKIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. – A SpaceCHOP participant builds threat hardware.

In the lead ...Answers on Page 16

ACROSS1. Undersecretary of the Air ForceDr. Ronald M. ___ (SAF/US)5. Hold up9. 2005 McConaughey movie

11. New York city section13. Suspended chemical14. Printing error16. Scottish hillside17. Active, energetic person

19. Monopoly purchases, in short20. USA unit of differing MOSs21. Elbow or head follower23. Tepid24. NY Giant Manning26. Southern Asia peninsula27. USAF aerial mission28. Blue jeans30. Vice Chief of Staff Gen. JohnD.W. ___ (AF/CV)32. Kitchen measurement, in short33. Ump34. Dishonest37. Stopwatches40. Director Howard41. Actresses Kudrow and Bonet43. Fishing technique44. Otherwise45. Billy Ray Cyrus song ___ BreakyHeart46. Taxing org.48. Bumble or honey49. Assist51. Superhero comic52. Northern Ireland capital56. Breakfast food58. Proverbial haystack item59. Decorative ribbon60. Votes in favor61. Final

DOWN1. Marketable2. 2000 Tony Award best actress3. Investigative arm of Congress, inshort4. Dry5. Prohibit6. Mistake7. Pie __ mode

8. Cover the steps, again9. Separated10. Decorates11. Brave12. Chief Master Sergeant of the AFCMSgt Gerald R._ (CMSAF)13. NBC rival15. USAF decoration18. USAF org. concerned with bombremoval22. New Zealand people23. Ate greedily25. Articulate26. African antelope29. USAF mission of UAVs31. Sleep type34. American soprano Augér35. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T.Michael __ (AF/CC)36. Asst. Vice Chief of Staff Lt. Gen.Arthur J. __ (AF/CVA)37. Air Force Surgeon Gen. Lt. Gen.George ___, Jr. (AF/SG)38. Apparel39. Branch out42. Wayne movie ___ Wore a YellowRibbon44. Fade away47. Lorne Michaels’ NBC sitcom50. Beach item51. Dec. holiday53. Surcharge54. Oklahoma town55. Patrick AFB’s 1st or 5thsquadron, in short57. Scheduling abbrev.

(Courtesy of AlaskanCommand Public Affairs)


Spouse gives adviceabout deploymentsBy 2nd Lt. Benjamin Meier21st Space Wing Public Affairs

There are many stresses related toa pending, current or past deployment.A supportive spouse can have a hugeimpact on the quality of life for thewhole family through rough times.

Anne Watkins, wife of Lt. Col.Terry Watkins, 21st Civil EngineerSquadron commander, has a fewextra tips for deployed servicemem-ber’s spouses.

“Terry has been deployed for 3months to Southwest Asia as a civilengineer,” Mrs. Watkins said. “Wemiss his companionship and doingthings as a family.”

The Watkins live in base housingwhich Mrs. Watkins said is a blessing.

“We feel very safe here on base,”Mrs. Watkins said. “We also have easyaccess to the Family Support Center.

We are really impressed with how theyprepared us for the deployment. Wewent to a seminar that gave us all ofthe information we needed to know.”

She is a firm believer that com-munication is the key to having a lessstressful deployment.

“You have to communicate withlots of people,” Mrs. Watkins said.“It’s really important that you talk toyour spouse at every chance. It’s alsoimportant to keep in close touch withyour friends.”

There are many support channelsdesigned to help those with deployedspouses including the FSC and thechaplains office.

One of the most importantavenues of support to her is the KeySpouse program, Mrs. Watkins said.

“We try to help the spouses bygiving them information while theirspouse is gone,” said Laura Gohl, Key

Spouse program volunteer. “I sendthem e-mails with discounts, classesthat are available and events such aslast month’s potluck.”

“There’s a world of support in theAir Force available to you. The impor-tant thing to do is to take advantage ofthose avenues of support,” Mrs.

Watkins said. “Go to the seminars, getall the information you can and use it.”

People need to treat themselvesonce in a while, Mrs. Watkins said.

“One of the best things you cando is take time out for yourself,” Mrs.Watkins said. “Your family is veryimportant, but so are you.”

Photo by 2nd Lt. Benjamin MeierAnne Watkins and daughter, Danielle, 8, play with their dog, Alex at theirhome. Her husband, Lt. Col. Terry Watkins, 21st Civil Engineer Squadroncommander, is deployed to Southwest Asia.

Hometown News ReleaseLet your hometown know about your recent

accomplishments.Have you recently: Received a Permanent Change of Station to Peterson Received a medal? Earned the Airman, NCO, Senior NCO or CompanyGrade Officer of the Quarter Award?

If so, let your hometown know by filling out a HometownNews Release, DD Form 2266. For more informationabout the program and other eligibility requirements,contact your Unit Public Affairs Representative or call21st Space Wing Public Affairs at 556-4698 or 556-5185.

Enlisted Against DrunkDrivingProtecting you and yourfamily members by providinga safe alternative to drinking and driving.

Please call us! Fri. - Sat. 10 p.m. - 3 a.m.Phone: 719-556-6384 or 55 NO DUI


www.peterson.af.mil

Force shaping testslieutenant’s moraleBy 1st Lt. Kristen Duncan96th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE,Fla. – Balance the officer and enlistedcorps; that is the current need of theAir Force. As an officer and a secondgeneration Airman, I’ve been told fromday one, the “needs of the Air Force”come first.

What happens when those“needs” mean the loss of my job – andnot just my job, but a career of integri-ty, service and excellence? I vowed toprotect the Constitution. To continuewhat my father and the greatest genera-tion did in World War II. I am truly apatriot. I am an Airman.

With force shaping, Air Forceleadership is undertaking the very dif-ficult task of reducing its forces.Brigadier Gen. Kathleen Close, AirForce Material Command director ofinstallations and mission support, saidthe leadership knows they could be los-ing a future commander or a futuregeneral. But the Air Force can no

longer support the imbalance of offi-cers to enlisted troops.

To support the mission, the serv-ice has to reduce its 2002 and 2003lieutenants through volunteer orforced separations.

That equals more than 4,000young, promising lieutenants. Onething is certain: the caliber of our lieu-tenants is unparalleled. The question iswhat does this do to our morale?

Working on various projects, Ihave to wonder, will any of this meananything if I’m force-shaped? Will Istill be able to lead my troops? Is mymorale going to take a nose dive? Whatif I work harder than I’ve ever workedto impress the heck out of every com-mander I’ve ever met? How do I keepfocused on my job and my mission?

The answer is really quite simple.We should all work harder, not toimpress for fear of losing our jobs, butbecause we are all officers who strivefor excellence. We should continue toaccomplish our jobs with the sameunfailing performance and the same

Group commander explains ‘integrity equals trust’By Col. Mark Allen21st Medical Group commander

Last year, a dictionary publisher reported themost frequently looked-up word among its 7million online users was the word, “integrity.” Aswe all know, or at least we should know, “integrityfirst” is the fundamental core value of our AirForce Core Values.

For many people, it seems integrity simplymeans telling the truth. The Air Force, however,defines integrity as “the ability to hold together andproperly regulate all of the elements of a personali-ty.” Integrity is the foundation of good character. Itincludes moral traits such as courage, honesty,accountability and responsibility.

One expression of high integrity is high-qualitywork. A person who is completely honest with him orherself will be someone who consistently does, orstrives to do, excellent work.

Another notable expression of integrity isseen in great leadership. Integrity is expressed inleadership through reliability and consistency. It isshown in an absolute devotion to keeping one’sword. The glue that holds all relationships together– including the relationship between the leader and

the follower – is trust. Trust is based on integrity. As a commander and Air Force officer, I know

my integrity must be unquestionable and undeniable –otherwise I will fail as a leader and teammate.Integrity also has to do with commitments to others,especially at work.

Always keep your word. Be a man or a womanof honor. If you say you will do something, do it; ifyou make a promise, keep it; if you make a commit-ment, fulfill it; and if you make a mistake in actionor an error in judgment, own up to it. Be the personwho others can depend on absolutely, no matterwhat the circumstances.

Integrity is essential to earn trust and trust ismore than a valuable commodity in the military. Inour environment, failures in trust are potentiallylethal. Clearly, in deployed and combat situations,military members trust their teammates with theirlives. Lives and safety, however, are dependent ontrust between teammates everyday here. We trustthe security forces to protect our base, we trust themedics to take care of our families and we trust theleadership to make appropriate decisions to accom-plish the mission while considering our needs andgoals. If the members of the 21st Medical Groupquestion my integrity and I fail to win their trust, I

fail as a commander. When trust fails, so do weand so does our mission.

For me, a great reward of military service is thattrust goes beyond the workplace. It’s the sense ofcommunity so many retired patriots say they missafter leaving the service. We trust each other to takecare of our families when we’re deployed, and ourteammates to be there for us when bad things happenin our lives such as illness, financial problems or evenrelationship problems.

Again, my ability as a commander to inspireexcellence in mission performance is directly relatedto the trust I earn from my teammates whom I care asmuch about off-duty as during the duty day. When Italk about safety or the importance of off-duty educa-tion, my message will miss the target if the listenersdon’t trust that I’m ready to back up words withaction. If I’m not trusted, my safety message willsound like another “program” versus a true commit-ment to my teammates’ safety. I may be a colonel,but if I fail to earn the trust of the people I lead andserve, rank is irrelevant.

Integrity is an absolute prerequisite to earningtrust. Trust is the bond that makes our team strong aswe defend our nation. Therefore, integrity equals trustin one another.

can-do attitude we’ve always had. We should continue to work hard

for our shops, our troops, our families,our nation and ourselves.

In one of the hardest-hit careerfields, I’ve examined all my optionsand have come up with a few ideas:navigator training, Palace Chase andeven switching services. Thankfully,the Air Force is giving us options. I’vecome to realize, though, that serving

my country means serving its needs.The needs of the Air Force must alwayscome first.

I hope to make a career of the“blue.” But even if my active-dutycareer is cut short, it is for the missionof the Air Force and the U.S. militarythat I will serve.

It could be my last act on active-duty. But I am, and will always be, anAirman.

Have a Wingman experience to share?

Let us know how you have helped a fellow Airman or how a

fellow Airman has helped you.

Submit a story or contact the Space Observer at 556-4351 or

e-mail [email protected]


FEATURE

Education CenterOnline tuition assistance applications mandatory

Tuition assistance is now available online for active-duty, military membersthroughout Peterson Air Force Base by accessing the Air Force Portal. Officers andenlisted members are required to apply for tuition assistance using the online fea-ture. Students can apply from the convenience of their home or work computers andare notified of results in approximately two business days. All grades from previ-ous courses must be posted to the computerized system for member to apply fornew tuition assistance. If a student is missing a grade, they can fax a copy of thegrade report to the education office at 556-7391.

To apply for online tuition assistance, log on to the Air Force Portal atwww.my.af.mil.

Click on the ‘Life and Career’ tab at the top of the page Select ‘Career’ from the drop-down menu Scroll down to ‘Military Self-Service Applications’

Select the ‘AF Virtual Education Center’ option under ‘Self-ServiceApplications’

Select ‘Apply for TA’The form will be automatically sent to the Education Office for review and

approval.For information or assistance, call the Education Office at 556-4064 or stop

by Building 1141, 301 W. Stewart Ave.

Pikes Peak Community College upcoming classes Registration for Spring semester classes at PPCC ends Friday. The next 8-

week term for on-base classes begins March 20. The deadline to register for thisterm is March 17. All active-duty personnel and their dependents who may beinterested in registering for classes at Pikes Peak Community College should checkwith the PPCC staff at the Peterson Education Center, Room 112, Building 1141,to confirm the classes members are interested in are not being offered on-basethrough Military Programs. There are no student fees for classes available throughMilitary Programs. Servicemembers interested in taking off-base classes will becharged student fees, including a non-refundable registration fee. In the event anoff-base class is dropped to register for an on-base class, the non-refundable regis-tration fee will still apply. This fee can’t be paid by tuition assistance.

For information, call Ronald Shields, Military Programs program manager, at574-1169 Ext. 102 or e-mail [email protected].

Webster University continues enrollmentEnrollment for the spring 2 term at Webster University is now open. The term

dates are from March 20 through May 19. Returning students can enroll online, viafax, phone or in person. Students must forward a copy of their tuition assistanceforms to the Webster Office for billing before the add/drop date for each term. Newor prospective students can schedule an advising appointment by calling 574-7562.

National Graduate School offers master’s degreeThe National Graduate School is accepting master’s degree applications for

one year beginning in February. For information about curricula, visitwww.ngs.edu.

Information sessions will also be held at 11:30 a.m. today at the Peterson AirForce Base Education Center, Room 104, Building 1141 and at 11:30 a.m. Fridayat the Schriever AFB Family Support Center Conference Room.

For information, contact Fred Davies at 650-1829 or (800) 838-2580 ext. 203.

Additional area educational opportunitiesColorado State University - PuebloFor information about classes or degree programs, contact John Hill at 574-

3312 or visit www.coned.colostate-pueblo.edu.University of Colorado, Colorado SpringsFor information, contact Jennifer Engelbrecht, UCCS Campus Wide

Extended Studies assistant director, at 262-3868 or e-mail [email protected] Aeronautical UniversityFor information, contact Rufina Butler, director of operations, at 576-6858.

Little things go long wayBy Airman 1st Class Jessica Andrews302nd Aeromedical Staging Squadron

What I have to say about theupcoming year is nothing as elo-quent or insightful as what Air Forcesenior leaders may write, but as anew Airman, with fresh eyes, Iwanted to make a few observations.

I have mystandard NewYear’s resolutionsplanned out – losea few pounds, sortout my finances,take up a newhobby. But thisyear will be differ-ent. This year,unlike the last, Iam a member ofthe United States Air Force.

For 2006, I will be addinghopes of achieving goals in my unit,such as higher rank, adding moreduties and so on. Though I wear theairman-first-class chevron on mysleeves, I have a college degree andfive years of “real life” workingexperience.

My enlistment was a littleunconventional in that I joined aftercollege and did not become an offi-cer. I joined, like most, for my ownpersonal reasons. I don’t know whatthe future holds regarding my civil-ian job, but I am compelled to be apart of what I think is the greatestbranch of the military.

I am not telling you thesethings to make myself look better, ifanything, quite the opposite. Mycivilian job is much different thanmy duties at the 302nd AeromedicalStaging Squadron.

Though I am older than manywho wear higher rank on theirsleeves, I am humbled by their help-fulness and experience. I deserve tobe the rank I am – I don’t knowwhat I’m doing. Remember yourfirst day of school? When you don’tknow anyone or where you’re going?I felt like that in my new unit – but

only for about five minutes –because of the friendly professionalswho were there to help me.

If you’re not sure what theASTS is, it is a group comprised ofnurses, doctors, medical techniciansand diet therapists (my field). Thesepeople are consummate profession-als. Chief Master Sgt. StephaniePauley, who has been in our unit the

longest, informedme of our overallmission.

We provide thewing with medicalsupport, such asphysical exams andemergency medicalservices, not tomention the numer-ous training taskswe accomplish on

our drill weekends, ensuring our per-sonnel are war-ready. I am honoredto be a part of this unit, and know-ing as little as I do in the militarysense, it’s helpful when someonetakes you under their wing.

So many military members arekind and treat me with respect. Ihave seen a few who are a littlejaded; maybe I’m just wide-eyed andoptimistic. If that’s you, jaded, justknow that you can make a differencefor us “newbies.” We watch what youdo. We look up to you. And whetheryou realize it or not, it’s the littlethings that count.

I can tell you of an incident,when my medical records were notin my charts for some reason. I hadto do something I fear, getting blooddrawn. Two members of my unit lit-erally held my hand through it. Theymade me laugh so hard that day andfeel comfortable. They treated me asa human being with nothing to beashamed of. It’s an example of theimmense appreciation I hold formany of my co-workers.

So, when you’re adding to yourlaundry list of resolutions, make onemore: pay special attention to us new-comers in the field. Maybe one day,we’ll be able to help you in return.

21st Space WingMaster Sgt. Paul Lavergne

556-7989

Director of Staff Senior Master Sgt.Edward Forgette

556-6490

Medical Group Master Sgt. Elisha Cumbie

556-1600

Mission Support GroupSenior Master Sgt. David Roy

556-4291

Maintenance GroupByron Bradford

556-4906

Operations GroupMaster Sgt.Jake Frey556-3469

Peterson NCO Academy Master Sgt. Paul Grau

566-8147

721st Mission Support GroupMaster Sgt. Tim Mikulski

474-2056

21st Space 21st Space Wing and gWing and group points ofroup points ofcontact fcontact for ticor tickket sales fet sales for the upcomingor the upcoming

‘Order of the Sw‘Order of the Sword’ord’ ceremonceremonyy

821st Air Base GroupChief Master Sgt. Richard Armading

629-3536


www.peterson.af.mil

To submit information for the base calendar, e-mail

[email protected]

Martin Luther King,Jr. Day celebration11 a.m. at the Base Chapel

Valentine’sDay

Tuesday, February 14

Thursday, January 12 Friday, January 20

Homebrew Festival

4:30 p.m. at the Officers Club

GroundhogDay

Thursday, February 2 Sunday, February 12

Friday, January 27 - 29

Snowfest!!!Keystone Ski Resort

Abraham Lincoln’sBirthday

January is

Celebration of

Life month

noteworthy


Answers from Page 11

Visit tthe Visit tthe newnew Space OObserver WWeb ssite aatSpace OObserver WWeb ssite aatwww.csmng.comwww.csmng.com

The process is simple: strip the tree of all nails, tinsel, ornaments, other decorations

and tree stands (metal or wood), then bring it to the tree-cycling location.

Each year, we ask on-base families to bring their bare trees to the vacant cable

television lot located on Mitchell Street just east of Westover Street. Trees piled near

the sign marked “Christmas Trees” will be shredded into mulch by our base land-

scaping contractor. We will accept trees through January 15th.

For information, call 556-7707.

Christmas Christmas TTree recree recycyclingling


www.peterson.af.mil

VOLUNTEER TODAY!

The 21st Space Wing Public Affairs staff is looking forThe 21st Space Wing Public Affairs staff is looking forpeople who are interested in telling the Air Forcepeople who are interested in telling the Air Forcestory to organizations both on and off base. Thisstory to organizations both on and off base. Thisexciting and challenging program will give people anexciting and challenging program will give people anopportunity to talk to various civic groups about theopportunity to talk to various civic groups about theAir Force, their personal hobbies or any other topicsAir Force, their personal hobbies or any other topicsof interest. For more information on the Wingof interest. For more information on the WingSpeakers Bureau, please call 556-66208 or the 21 SWSpeakers Bureau, please call 556-66208 or the 21 SWPA office at 556-55185.PA office at 556-55185.

WOULD YYOU LLIKE TTO BBE AA MMEMBEROF TTHE WWING SSPEAKERS BBUREAU?

WOULD YYOU LLIKE TTO BBE AA MMEMBEROF TTHE WWING SSPEAKERS BBUREAU?



www.peterson.af.mil



www.peterson.af.mil



www.peterson.af.mil


Documents

Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado...our success as a wing. Jan. 8, 1977 The first YC-141B (stretched C-141A Starlifter) rolls out of the Lockheed-Georgia Marietta plant. It is 23.3