Colorado Springs Military Newspaper Group

It’s confirmed; Schriever best in Space again

By Staff Sgt. Patrice Clarke

50th Space Wing Public Affairs

Col. James Ross, 50 SW commander, spoke on these achievements at his recent commander’s call May 18.

“[This achievement] took a tremendous amount of work,” said Ross. “It took innovation, creativity and a little bit of courage too. I cannot explain to you how proud I am of all of you and how proud I am to be associated with this unit.”

According to the award citation, the 50 SW distinguished itself by exceptional mission execution, providing superior space combat effects and enhancing worldwide contingency operations in defense of the United States of America and her allies from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2011.

The Moorman award recognizes the best space wing in Space Command overall. All wings in AFSPC compete for the annual award. The winning unit receives a replica trophy that remains at Schriever. Moorman helped plan, organize and establish AFSPC in 1982. He was also the first four-star space officer in the United States.

Units were judged on overall performance in accomplishing their mission. Mission accomplishments are valued as the most important criteria followed by meritorious achievement or service, quality initiatives and other factors such as community service and those that affect a unit’s mission.

The 50 SW performed multi-million dollar operations transfers, executed critical mission requirements and provided mission combat effects with indispensable communication and unprecedented accuracy in navigation services to land, air, space, naval and marine forces in support of contingency operations and natural disaster crisis centers around the world.

Ross also stated that though the wing earned this award, there is still a lot of work to be done.

“We still have challenges ahead of us,” said Ross. “The same professional attitudes you have shown to be the best wing in Space Command with a space mission and the best wing overall in Space Command; you apply that same energy, that same professionalism to those challenges and I know that we will be successful. We are the best of the best of the best.”

This is the second year the 50 SW has won the Moorman and Herres awards. The wing earned those achievements in 2008.

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