Schriever Sentinel

When Andy Jensen first heard the news that ducks had been spotted at Schriever, he thought someone must be mistaken.

“We don’t have so much as a small pond on base right now, so it was hard to believe we would see any kind of waterfowl here,” he said.

A short walk to the west side of the base June 5 revealed the facts, however. When Jensen, 50th Civil Engineer Squadron environmental flight chief, and several other members of the environmental flight arrived at one of the many fences that surround Schriever, they found an adult mallard and six ducklings roaming around aimlessly.

Jensen estimated the ducklings had hatched only a day earlier. Since they obviously couldn’t fly, their mother was attempting to lead them to a water source the only way she knew how, by walking.

“Trapped behind a fence and miles from a water source, the ducklings had little chance of surviving,” Jensen said. “The mother must have arrived on base during early May when we still had water in the drainage ditch near the base’s west side. She must have built her nest, laid her eggs and waited for them to hatch. By the time they did, the water had dried up.”

Kim Young, a Missile Defense Agency employee, spotted the scene first. She arrived at work early in the morning and was heartbroken by what she witnessed. She called Margie Hobson, MDA environmental management representative, who then contacted the 50 CES environmental flight for help.

“Hearing that 90-degree heat was on the horizon and knowing we have many predators on base, the ducks’ future seemed grim,” Hobson said. “My first hope was that we would be able to round up the mother and her hatchlings and transfer them to a nearby body of water, like Prospect Lake, where other ducks and geese make their home.”

Once he surveyed the situation, Jensen contacted the Ellicott Wildlife Rehabilitation Center to get more information on the birds.

The scenario, presented an interesting decision for the environmental flight crew: choose not to interfere and allow nature to take its course or save the birds and risk disrupting a balanced ecosystem.

“I wrestled with the decision in part because we caught some grief for rescuing an owl that fell out of a nest on base a few weeks ago,” Jensen said. “The owl had a broken leg, so we know we did the right thing in that situation. As for the ducks, Donna Ralph, owner at EWRC, told me the ducklings most likely wouldn’t survive in these conditions, so we knew we had to act quickly if we were going to save them.”

Joining Jensen were Al Fernandez, Doug Chase, Pamela Rosinski, Diane Selleny and Capt. Rebecca Freeman. They each carried a net and approached the young duck family as a group.

“Our first tactic was to capture the mother, but as soon as we did that, the ducklings shot through the chain link to the other side,” Jensen said. “Once we released her, she reunited the group, but that left us back where we started.”

With the mother distressed and still trapped, Jensen and Chase decided to capture the ducklings. Unfortunately, they were unable to capture the mother a second time, thus leading to a bittersweet ending for the mallards.

“After we picked up the young birds, it was hard to watch as the mother flew back in and looked around for them,” Jensen said.

Once at the EWRC, the hatchlings health improved dramatically. With fresh water and the caring of adult mallards at the center, Ralph estimates all six hatchlings will survive. She plans to release the birds near Fountain Creek once they’re old enough to survive on their own, which should be sometime in September or October.

“Obviously, we feel for the mother, but it’s some consolation to think she’s probably already flown to a water source,” Jensen said. “And, she has actually has time to lay more eggs this season.”

For more information on what to do when encountering distressed wildlife in the area contact the 50 CES environmental flight at 567-3360.

1st Space Operations Squadron commander

On 24 June, I’m sad to say my time at Schriever Air Force Base will come to close with the 1st Space Operations Squadron change of command ceremony. At that time, no less than 1,455 days will have passed since my first voyage through the North Gate in June of 2009, badging into and trying to figure out what the small glass cage portals were all about, and hoping I didn’t get the special attention of the Air Force’s finest security forces team donning automatic weapons. Time most definitely flies when you’re having fun.

Looking back, the base has seen a tremendous amount of change ranging from opening base housing to bringing in new missions and satellites to include Operational Responsive Space-1, Space-based Space Surveillance and Advanced Technology Risk Reduction we currently fly in 1 SOPS. We’ve also had the privilege of acing two Air Force Space Command Inspector General inspections, scoring numerous awards that validated we are the best space operations wing in the known world, maybe even beyond, and we’ve received countless other accolades, high fives and praise. In short, we’ve managed to not only bring it, but we’ve left no doubt.

In simple sports terminology, we’ve had a run of consecutive championship seasons. Each year has brought unique challenges, yet each challenge has afforded the opportunity for our team to step up and find a way to win. In watching it all unfold during four years, I’m convinced this success is not only attributed to the amazing people here at Schriever, but more specifically to an unrivaled work ethic and willingness to work together. These old-school ideals of hard work and team work are demonstrated every single day in every conceivable place from our base fitness center, dining hall, janitorial services, personnel and financial experts to our fire department, security forces, communicators, space and network operators, and countless other base organizations. In every corner, in every office, there are great people willing to do whatever it takes to ensure our team succeeds. In doing so, there is a definite element of selflessness involved with these actions and putting the needs of the team ahead of our own. Although these selfless acts seem common when serving our nation, they can seem uncommon when looking at mainstream society where the achievements, successes and accomplishments of the individual are often held above all. The irony of valuing the accomplishments of the individual over those of the team is the simple fact that our greatest wins in life are rarely achieved alone. In fact, I can’t think of a single, significant thing I’ve achieved in my life where I haven’t been part of a team or group or had help from at least one other person. Where is the joy of getting the big win if you can’t share it with your teammates?

We’ve had a lot to celebrate during the past four years, and those victories have been so much sweeter having accomplished them together, as one of the greatest teams in the Air Force. For this, I simply wanted to say thank you for the opportunity to be part of that team. And, while the tumbleweeds, stark prairie scenery and drives on Highway 94 will be forgettable, the uncommon effort and the selfless dedication of the team here at Schriever will stay with me forever. Please know I will be cheering for the team as you continue this unprecedented championship run. I’m certain future success is inevitable because no other team will work harder, do more to help their teammates or be more selfless.

Schriever Sentinel

The 2nd Space Operations Squadron accepted satellite control authority of its fourth GPS Block IIF satellite during a ceremony here Friday.

Following its launch from Cape Canaveral, Fla., May 15, acquirers from the Space and Missile Systems Center and operators from the 50th and 310th Space Wings first performed an extensive checkout of the spacecraft before placing it into a primary slot in the GPS constellation.

On-orbit checkout took only 19 days, which is the fastest OOC completion and SCA transfer in the history of the GPS Block IIF satellite program.

Col. Bernard Gruber, GPS director at the SMC, started the ceremony by transferring satellite control authority of the vehicle, known as SVN-66, to the 14th Air Force. Col. Todd Brost, 14 AF director of operations and exercises, accepted SCA and transferred it to 50 SW Commander, Col. James Ross.

“Today’s successful transfer of satellite control authority is a shining example of how a strong relationship between our acquisition and operational communities can produce outstanding results,” Ross said. “We have now established a pattern of delivering state-of-the-art satellites on orbit and available to users in record-setting time, this time in a matter of weeks. I am very proud of our 2 SOPS and 19th Space Operations Squadron teams for their hard work.”

Ross immediately delegated command and control of the vehicle to 2 SOPS.

“We continue to be honored and humbled to bring new satellites with new capabilities in to the GPS constellation,” said Lt. Col. Thomas Ste. Marie, 2 SOPS commander. “The partnership between SMC, 19 SOPS and 2 SOPS for launch and initialization only gets stronger each time. My hat is off to the whole team for another extremely smooth and successful campaign.”

The Air Force’s newest GPS satellite was positioned in its final orbital location May 29. It replaces SVN-33, an older Block IIA space vehicle that has served the GPS mission for more than 17 years.

Global Positioning System satellites transmit digital radio signals to receivers on the ground, allowing military and civilian users to calculate their time, location and velocity.

The Block IIF series is the fifth generation of GPS spacecraft and provides improved timing technology, a more jam-resistant military signal and higher powered civilian signal compared to previous models. SVN-66 was designed to operate on orbit for 12 years and includes a reprogrammable processor capable of receiving software uploads.

The new vehicle joins 31 other GPS satellites currently on orbit in operational status. The squadron also maintains four spare GPS vehicles in a residual constellation.

Despite being replaced, SVN-33 is not going away. It is still producing healthy signals and will continue to contribute to GPS missions for the foreseeable future. However, SVN-66 will now be the primary satellite occupying that specific orbital slot.

The fifth GPS Block IIF is slated for launch in October. Ultimately, the Air Force plans to launch 12 Block IIFs and has three launches in the planning stage for 2014.

Senior Airman Chris Reeves, 3rd Space Operations Squadron, demonstrates a proof of concept for Air Force Satellite Control Network antenna automation here June 6. The test proved, with nominal conditions, that next generation Remote Block Change antennas normally requiring around-the-clock manning, could accomplish communications without an operator sitting at the other end. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Dennis Rogers)

By Staff Sgt. Robert Cloys

50th Space Wing Public Affairs

The 3rd Space Operations Squadron demonstrated a proof of concept for Air Force Satellite Control Network antenna automation here June 6.

The test proved, with nominal conditions, that next generation Remote Block Change antennas normally requiring around-the-clock manning, could accomplish communications without an operator sitting at the other end.

“Automation is significant for a couple of reasons,” said Lt. Col. Chadwick Igl, 3 SOPS commander. “In 3 SOPS, antenna automation allows our operators to leverage the automation efforts we’ve developed during the last several years through the Task Automated Operations process. This in turn improves resource utilization by reducing the network time required for the satellite contacts and will allow the 22nd Space Operations Squadron to continue to optimize the AFSCN.”

Still in its first stages of testing, the concept will continue to improve as different, more complex, variables are used.

“We will continue this testing by putting different stresses on the system and working to overcome any challenges they provide,” said 1st Lt. James Kundert, a member of the ground engineering team for the automation proof of concept.

Information gained from these automated supports have the potential to allow other organizations to leverage the knowledge gained by 3 SOPS as they send timely and continuous feedback to 22 SOPS.

“The next step for 3 SOPS will be to continue to develop and refine the operations procedures so operators can fully utilize and gain the benefits of executing satellite supports via Automated Remote Block Change Operational Concept sites,” said Igl. ”We are committed to supporting the ongoing test effort by working closely with 22 SOPS to build in more complex satellite supports at the AROC sites.”

Lt. Col. Scott Angerman, 22 SOPS commander, also commented on the ongoing effort.

“AFSCN antenna automation is being targeted at four RBC antennas initially to allow the 50 Space Wing efficient use of resources using inherent technical antenna capabilities,” he said. “22 SOPS along with our partners in 21 SOPS and the Space and Missile Center will be working with all AFSCN users this month to test and validate this concept for automated space operations. This increasingly will be the way of the future.”

Since the initial test support, 3 SOPS conducted two additional automated commanding supports to the Defense Satellite Communications System without issue.

“3 SOPS is honored to be the first squadron within the 50th Space Wing to demonstrate this game-changing capability. I’d like to personally thank my ground engineering team led by 1st Lt. James ‘JC’ Kundert, Senior Airman Christopher Reeves, Airman 1st Class Briana McDougal, and Airman 1st Class James Ferguson for developing and testing the operational procedures,” said Igl. “Their hard work, technical expertise and knowledge has been invaluable to the test AROC support success and will be instrumental in developing and validating the operational procedures for future AROC supports.”

(U.S. Air Force photo/Dennis Rogers)
Col. Jonathan Webb, 50th Mission Support Group commander, and Kayla Dempsey plant a tree as Andy Schlosberg, Colorado State Forest Service, looks on during an Arbor Day celebration Tuesday at the Child Development Center. Kayla is the daughter of Tech. Sgt. Daniel Dempsey. For the 15th year in a row, Team Schriever received the Tree City USA award from the National Arbor Day Foundation and the Colorado State Forest Service for its commitment in maintaining and improving the trees in its community.

By Staff Sgt. Julius Delos Reyes

50th Space Wing Public Affairs

For the 15th year in a row, Team Schriever received the Tree City USA award from the National Arbor Day Foundation and the Colorado State Forest Service for its commitment in maintaining and improving the trees in its community.

Andy Schlosberg, CSFS representative, presented the award to Col. Jonathan Webb, 50th Mission Support Group commander, on behalf of Team Schriever during an Arbor Day celebration Tuesday at the Child Development Center.

“We are proud to receive this award. This is a testament to Team Schriever’s dedication to taking care of the environment,” said Webb. “We share the environment with the community and are committed to ensuring we are good stewards and neighbors.”

Leadership from various organizations as well as CDC staff and children attended the event. The celebration also featured tree planting.

“Planting trees is an act of kindness and optimism; the gift for our friends and neighbors and for future generations,” said Schlosberg. “The trees we plant clean the air, beautify our neighborhoods, provide homes for wildlife, conserve energy and top soil and help keep the atmosphere in balance.”

He said the celebration of Arbor Day represents a priceless opportunity for everyone.

“[This is] an opportunity for children to take positive action to make their world a better place and to learn about trees and the natural world,” he said. “An opportunity for neighbors to join together for the benefit of all, an opportunity for communities to reach across barriers of income, geography, culture and politics to work for the common good. It is an opportunity to celebrate life and the interconnectedness of all creation.”

Arbor Day originated in 1872 when J. Sterling Morton, former Secretary of Agriculture, proposed to the Nebraska Board of Agriculture that a special day be set aside for the planting of trees.

(U.S. Air Force graphic/Staff Sgt. Robert Cloys)
Tech. Sgt. Shale Norwitz, from the 22nd Space Operations Squadron and winner of the Geocaching Schriever campaign that took place during April, won the chance to be honorary wing commander for a day May 29.

By Staff Sgt. Robert Cloys

50th Space Wing Public Affairs

In April, the 50th Space Wing Public Affairs office held a Geocaching Schriever Campaign that would leave one lucky person as the new honorary wing commander for a day.

The rules of the campaign were simple. Each day coordinates were placed on the 50th Space Wing’s Facebook page and participants would flock to the locations, often highlighting different services on base, hoping to be the first to find and claim the prize.

Each cache located also gave participants one chance to be considered for the grand prize.

On May 1, Col. Bill Rittershaus, 50 SW vice commander, announced Tech. Sgt. Shale Norwitz from the 22nd Space Operations Squadron as the winner after drawing his name from the many participants throughout the month.

Norwitz, an avid geocacher had been drawn to the idea since its announcement, often being first to find the cache in what repeatedly ended up being a race between him and several members of 2 SOPS, who operate and maintain the GPS satellites essential to making geocaching possible.

“Geocaching Schriever, although a deviation from traditional geocaching, was very well done and brought to light a hobby that Schriever makes possible,” said Nortwitz. “I think the fact that much of the general public doesn’t know that GPS comes from Schriever is a tribute to GPS’s overall success. There is no other service in the world that has the most customers and the least amount of complaints.”

Norwitz’s first and last day of command took place May 29. In preparation, he walked in to the barbershop the day prior to get his hair cut identical to Col. James Ross, the 50 SW commander.

“I like to attack things on multiple dimensions. I thought it was a subtle thing that maybe somebody might notice,” said Norwitz. “Colonel Ross is definitely a genuinely good person and strong leader. If I was going to even jokingly succeed him, I figured that there was no reason that I couldn’t also try to emulate him.”

One of Norwitz’s first acts was designating each of the squadron commander parking spots to the lowest ranking Airmen in each of the respective squadrons.

“The bedrock of this installation, the bedrock of the Air Force and every mission that gets completed is the Airmen,” said Norwitz in a serious tone. “When you are an Airman, you have no idea that the Air Force really is on your shoulders.”

The parking spots were an easy way that, even on his prized day, Norwitz could say thank you.

Even a joke lined up to have his own commander, Lt. Col. Scott Angerman, 22 SOPS commander, serve him cookies in the wing commander’s office turned out to be for a cause other than himself. The cookies were delivered by Norwitz to another group of individuals, the shift workers he considered to be unsung heroes in the communications squadron.

During his 24 hours as honorary commander for a day, Norwitz didn’t remain completely serious; he also utilized his time to mount a small campaign for the prairie dogs that populate much of Schriever’s open space.

“At a bare minimum, if we were able to educate people on the plight of the prairie dog, then we will have succeeded to some degree,” said Norwitz with a satirical presence. “I know that Colonel Ross has a long drive home every day, during which I hope he has time to reflect on this small but very important percent of our Schriever inhabitors now that he has ‘resumed’ command. Long after everyone has left Schriever and gone home and is enjoying a macaroni and cheese dinner and watching television, the prairie dogs have to stay here. They live here 24/7.”

Finishing off his 15 minutes of fame, Norwitz decided to put together a kickball game pitting commanders against enlisted for the purpose of morale and physical training.

With both Col. Jonathan Sutherland, 50th Network Operations Group commander, and Lt. Col. Mike Manor, 1 SOPS commander, posing a threat to the team headed up by Norwitz, the enlisted members secured their win after nearly three times the innings played in a regulation game.

“The commanders came on strong, but we did have a good show of force on the enlisted side,” said Norwitz with a grin. “Colonel Sutherland was throwing some dirty pitches. I think there was a little extra bounce where there didn’t need to be bounce.”

Keep an eye on the 50 SW Facebook page for quarterly campaigns like Geocaching Schriever, news and other chances to get involved.

(Courtesy photo)
Capt. Colin Merrin, 2nd Space Operations Squadron, pushes toward the summit of Mount Everest May 20 less than 24 hours before he must make a heartbreaking decision at 27,000 feet.

By Staff Sgt. Robert Cloys

50th Space Wing Public Affairs

(Editor’s Note: This is the final story in a three-part series highlighting Capt. Colin Merrin’s journey to Mount Everest.)

Months of training, extreme cold temperatures, intestinal illness, sleep deprivation, avalanches, limited oxygen at high elevations and a respiratory infection. These are the trials and tribulations that Capt. Colin Merrin, a 2nd Space Operations Squadron GPS operator, endured after setting foot in Nepal with the goal of climbing the world’s tallest peak, Mount Everest.

Now home again in Colorado, Merrin has had time to reflect on the journey as well as his decision to turn around roughly 2,000 feet from the highest point on earth.

“The first time you really see the Himalayas, you’re just completely overwhelmed. These mountains… you’ve never seen anything of this magnitude before,” said Merrin, reflecting on his flight in to Nepal. “The Himalayas dwarf everything I’ve ever seen. I’ve been in the Andes, the Alps and all over Colorado. The Himalayas crush it all.”

The Himalayas weren’t the only thing doing some crushing. After Merrin met up with the rest of the U.S. Air Force 7 Summits Challenge Team, they were soon on their way to crushing the amount of time their Sherpa guides estimated each of their climbs would take to complete.

The warm up climb of Mount Lobuche, a 20,161-foot mountain near Mount Everest, took the team about half the time they expected. The team’s Sherpa guides were also taken aback by the team’s ability to stay mostly healthy in conditions that cause nearly 75 percent of visitors to get a bad cough within the first few days of arriving.

“I think that was around the point where people not associated with the Air Force started gravitating toward the Air Force guys,” Merrin said. “They seemed to really appreciate the teamwork and camaraderie that we had.”

Though the team had very little interaction before their trek to Nepal, they seemed to work well together and people were taking notice all across Mount Everest Base Camp.

The positive mood around Mount Everest changed quickly May 5. A Sherpa had died at Camp 3.

The 7 Summits Team was on a climb as radio chatter began to pick up about what had happened.

“The mood of the climb became really somber, really quickly,” said Merrin.

The death was a startling reminder of just how important safety precautions were for the team, even for the most experienced climbers. However, the dismal news wouldn’t stop the team from continuing toward their goal.

“I think the Air Force’s focus on safety has shifted in the past couple years to not necessarily be ‘if there’s something risky, we’re just not going to do it.’ It’s become more ‘if there’s something risky, we’re going to recognize it and we’re going to mitigate that to be as safe as possible,” said Merrin.

The team personified that risk-management idea during their entire trip, and ultimately, Merrin would use it to make a difficult decision on May 21 during the team’s final push to the top of Mount Everest.

Weather halted the team’s progress for eight days. On May 20, the team received the green light they had been waiting for. The final push had begun.

Almost immediately, things did not feel right for Merrin.

“Once I got to Camp 2, I knew something was wrong. I lost my appetite and that night, I had a fever,” he said.

The idea that summiting Mount Everest may be slipping away wasn’t one Merrin was ready to accept so easily.

“Being on Everest, I was kind of in denial a little bit,” he said. “I thought maybe I was just overreacting a little and that I’d be fine. From Camp 2 to 3, not only was I not climbing in the front with our guys, I was the last person to get there.”

The rest of the team also began to get concerned about Merrin’s health. During their next rest period, they tried to get his spirits up, kept him hydrated and get him prepared for the final two climbs.

“Really all I wanted to do was be in bed with some chicken noodle soup,” Merrin said jokingly in reflection. “But, I was at 24,000 feet trying to climb Mount Everest.”

The climb from Camp 3 to 4 was similar. Merrin wasn’t keeping up with the group and could feel it taking a toll on his body. With the summit roughly 2,000 feet away he felt that he had to give it a shot.

With only a few hours of rest before the team’s final push, Merrin set out with an hour head start.

Not meeting his climbing-time expectations again, Merrin sat down at 27,000 feet to make what he calls the hardest and easiest decision of his life.

“I’ll never forget when Captain Merrin told me he had to turn around,” said Maj. Rob Marshall, the 7 Summits Team Leader and co-founder. “Captain [Andrew] Ackles and I were climbing up a steep pitch and caught up to him on a ledge. It was a bit of a blur of headlamps and other climbers navigating the narrow ledge where he sat, but just as I was about to reach him, I saw two boots sticking out from the snowy ledge. They belonged to a deceased climber that must have been frozen there for a few years. Colin wasn’t aware of the body at the time, so when he told me he had made the decision to return to Camp 4 due to his respiratory infection, I told him it was clearly the right decision, as there was a deceased climber 30 feet from us who had likely failed to make such a critical decision. It was a heart breaking moment to know he wouldn’t continue up with us, but I was also terribly proud of him for making such a smart decision.”

In that moment on the side of the tallest mountain in the world, perched on a narrow ledge in the freezing temperatures as the headlamps of other climbers cut through the darkness in front of him, the decision was black and white.

“I could keep going and probably die or turn around and live. It’s not a hard decision to make,” said Merrin. “It’s [a hard decision to make] because you’re on Mount Everest. You really want to succeed with your team and you’re 2,000 feet away from the top of the world. You don’t want to turn around, but you have to.”

Merrin’s Sherpa guide broke down at the news that he wouldn’t be making the summit, but he was reassured that Merrin had already come to peace with the decision.

During the weeks at Everest Base Camp, a rare friendship had formed between the Air Force climber and the Sherpa guides. Merrin spent much of his time between climbs in Sherpa tents sharing tea with them exchanging stories and jokes.

Back home, his co-workers applauded his accomplishments and continued to support him just as they had his entire trip.

“Captain Merrin likely saved his own life and exercised tremendous presence of mind and near super-human self-discipline that day. He should be commended,” said Lt. Col. Thomas Ste. Marie, 2 SOPS commander. “The 2nd Space Operations Squadron is a family, and we take care of each other. The wingman concept is something we focus on hard and that concept goes beyond just having one person watching out for you. Colin had all of us backing him up and we were proud to do so.”

Although, in the end Merrin wasn’t able to walk away saying he made it to the top of Mount Everest, he did come away with some incredible stories and friendships, especially with his Sherpa guides.

“I feel like I made some lifelong friends and these guys are the strongest climbers in the world,” he said.

Too soon to say what his future with Mount Everest holds, Merrin knows that if he does go back to settle “unfinished business,” he has a group of Sherpa people, who have truly touched his life, eager to get him to the top.

(U.S. Air Force photo illustration /Dennis Rogers)
Senior Airman Kaley Franklin, 4th Space Operations Squadron communications system operator, explains her job responsibilities to Under Secretary of the Air Force Eric Fanning Monday at Schriever Air Force Base, Colo. The squadron’s mission is to operate the Air Force’s protected MILSATCOM systems, which provide warfighters global, secure, survivable, strategic and tactical communication during peacetime and throughout the full spectrum of conflict.

By Staff Sgt. Julius Delos Reyes

50th Space Wing Public Affairs

Under Secretary of the Air Force Eric Fanning visited Schriever Air Force Base Monday to see the 50th Space Wing’s global mission firsthand.

Fanning, who was sworn into office April 29, visited Schriever, Peterson and Buckley air force bases as part of a two-day orientation to Air Force Space Command operations in Colorado.

“It was a privilege to meet so many Airmen who have helped make the Air Force the global force it is today. You certainly live up to the motto, ‘Masters of Space,’” Fanning said. “We face difficult choices ahead, but your expertise and professionalism will continue to be vital to the success of joint operations around the globe. Thank you for your continued dedication and selfless service in support of this great mission.”

During the visit, wing leadership showcased several recent accomplishments, such as the initial operation capability of the Integrated Operations Environment and the recent inclusion of the 3rd Space Experimentation Squadron.

“We are excited to welcome Mr. Fanning into the Air Force family and to highlight the 50th Space Wing mission — to command and control satellites to deliver decisive global effects,” said Col. James Ross, 50th SW commander. “We have a lot to be proud of as a wing and a base and we are happy to demonstrate that to our Air Force senior leaders.”

The under secretary also met with Airmen and toured the wing’s 1st, 2nd and 22nd Space Operations Squadrons and the base’s Central Utility Plant.

As under secretary, Fanning is responsible for Air Force matters on behalf of the Secretary of the Air Force to include the organizing, training, equipping and providing for the welfare of its Total Force Airmen and their families. He also oversees the service’s annual budget, and serves as the Air Force’s chief management officer, the senior energy official, and the focal point for space within Air Force Headquarters.

50th Space Wing Public Affairs

As the first sergeant with the 50th Security Forces Squadron, Master Sergeant Erin French may have seen the most common issues affecting Airmen.

Financial, professional, personal or relationship issues are some of the problems that first sergeants help Airmen tackle on a regular basis. This ability to provide assistance may prove helpful to French as she serves as one of Schriever’s four master resilience trainers.

“The vacancy came open for someone to attend, and we realized having a first sergeant as a master resilience trainer could be beneficial because of the type of situations we are already helping individuals work through and resolve,” French said. “Why not have a first sergeant who is already working in a resilience capacity and helping people resolve their issues be a resilience trainer?”

Master resilience trainers are an integral element to provide trained and certified members as installation experts for Comprehensive Airmen Fitness. The trainers will provide awareness education and skill development techniques for Airmen and their families to enhance individual resilience across the four pillars of CAF: mental, physical, social and spiritual.

“A lot of our programs are set up to be reactive,” French said. “If you look at some of our helping agencies — often they are structured to pick up the pieces after something has gone wrong in a person’s life. The point of the resiliency training is to give you the skills in advance to work through the challenges we face.”

French recently attended the master resilience trainer train-the-trainer course at the Expeditionary Center at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J. With this training, she will be able to provide train-the-trainer courses for base resilience training assistants, who will assist in providing resiliency training for Team Schriever.

“Once we have more [trainers] on Schriever AFB, we will be training resilience training assistants (RTA),” French said. “RTAs will be able to share the responsibility of providing resilience skills training at the unit level [sessions].”

Air Force guidance mandates that First Term Airmen Centers are required to include eight consecutive hours of resilience training given by the trained master resilience trainer at the base. In the near future, MRTs and RTAs will provide resilience training during Wingman Day events, commander’s calls, roll calls, professional organizations, meetings or other unit functions. The training consists of teaching resiliency skills to reinforce and strengthen members’ four pillars.

“Rather than jumping in when it’s too late, and be reactive, we have to give people an opportunity to be a little bit more proactive and provide them with skills to make that possible,” she said. “This training is tailored for everyone. This is going to strengthen our Airmen.”

Chief Master Sgt. Gary Sharp, 50th Mission Support Group superintendent and acting 50th Space Wing command chief, said the training is beneficial because the Air Force is asking more of its Airmen than ever before.

“We need to ensure they are mentally, socially and spiritually capable to meet these challenges,” Sharp said. “Master resiliency training provides our Airmen with the tools to better cope and rebound from those issues before they occur to enable them to maintain their readiness.”

Additionally, the training is designed to get individuals to reinforce themselves and work through their problems.

“We need our Airmen to be able to adapt and overcome the various obstacles they may encounter in their personal and professional lives,” Sharp said. “By better equipping them to manage these issues, we are ultimately improving their quality of life and their ability to effectively perform their duties.”

3rd Space Operations Squadron commander

In today’s fiscally constrained environment, individual responsibility and awareness have become more important than ever. The benefits the Air Force has provided in the past are being cut or modified and the individual now must work more aggressively to develop the whole person concept. So, how can each of us capitalize on opportunities available during sequestration? To ensure you are not left behind, I believe there are three critical responsibilities that will continue to grow officers, civilians and enlisted focusing on the total person concept. They include personal development, professional development and individual development. As I walk through each area of responsibility, you will notice one common theme, mentorship. Both up and down the chain, the way we communicate, promote opportunities and adapt to the current environment enables us to continue making a difference in the jobs we do and the nation we serve. Mentorship is one of the greatest tools we have to overcome the challenges that lie ahead and will reward those who utilize and practice mentorship with a stronger path toward achieving the total person concept, which we value so much in the Air Force.

The first AOR we must all continue to take advantage of is personal development. When we were young, personal development was encouraged initially by our parents when they sent us to preschool, elementary school, middle school and high school. During these formative years, we laid the foundation of learning necessary for us to set and achieve life goals that culminated in that wonderful day where we earned our high school diploma. I recently attended my nephew’s high school graduation and was encouraged by the enthusiasm and optimism of the graduating class. What amazing opportunities they have to make a difference in the world. While military members represent only 1 percent of America, each of you has chosen to make a difference by serving in the military. I commend your choice. Having made this decision, you have also made the choice to continue your personal development through the many opportunities available to service members. Educational goals ranks as one of the top reasons members chose to join the military and our Air Force has empowered our personnel to achieve educational goals because it makes them better leaders in the Air Force. As leaders, we must be mentors and encourage those around us to consider education plans within the new fiscally constrained environment. Encouraging our personnel, coworkers and even friends to visit the education center and work toward Community College of the Air Force, bachelor and master degrees will make the Air Force a more informed service and develops us personally.

Our professional development is also in our immediate AOR. With the drastic reduction in temporary duty funds this fiscal year, commanders at all levels have pursued alternative means to achieve mission success. Within my own organization, we have held video teleconferences for program reviews to bring together diverse mission partners that were previously held at TDY locations. Holding a technical meeting via VTC is not the easiest of challenges, but in the current environment it is an acceptable short-term solution. While professional development via VTC is also difficult, the Air Force has already taken steps to improve distance learning. Air University has embraced online learning and offers four online courses on leadership and development through the Leadership Development Program that are self-paced and available for junior officers and civilians. Additionally, Air War College and Air Command and Staff College recently transitioned to an online blackboard and electronic curriculum system that requires enrolled students to download self-study materials. Course 14 for senior enlisted professional military education is also available as an online computer-based course. For Guard and Reserve enlisted members, you’ll find that Course 3 and Course 15 are viable options through Air University to allow you to earn Airman Leadership School and NCO Academy credit. Lastly, I’m also encouraged by the amount of online computer-based trainings offered for Air Force career fields. While I am not the expert in all career fields and the different CBTs, I do know that every organizations has a training manager available who should be an excellent mentoring resource to allow all of us to pursue professional development offerings. There’s that critical resource again — our mentors.

In the last AOR, I’d like to address concerns with individual development. While the Air Force has always been a great place to pursue both personal and professional development opportunities, I can honestly say that it does not matter if the Air Force budget doubles if each individual does not step up to the plate. As members of the Air Force, each one of us has the distinct privilege to make a difference by being a mentor. Being a mentor is not a job, although it is actually a part of something that every one of us does every day. For those of you with kids, mentor is not one of the jobs that your kids want to be when they grow up. Kids want to be fireman, astronauts, doctors, musicians, singers, or the president. And we encourage our kids to reach for the stars and be a doctor or a fireman, a singer and maybe even the president, but what we are really doing is encouraging them to pursue their dreams and we mentor them by the way we act, dress, talk and interact with others. We are setting standards and mentoring the people we work with both good and bad. Good mentors take the time to focus on individual development by creating experiences that can be shared by many, whether it is starting a professional development book reading brown bag lunch club or bringing peers or subordinates in to talk about course corrections in leadership. I recently read the book, “Unbroken” by Laura Hillenbrand and it was an amazing story about Louis Zamperini, a World War II bombardier who persevered through a multitude of challenges in the Pacific theater of war. I’d love to provide details, but that would ruin the story — you really need to read it to absorb and reflect on the challenges he faced and how he was able to overcome and persevere. Through professional reading, you can learn, reflect and then impart lessons learned to others as well as encourage professional reading when you mentor. Individual development is so important because it is a part of us personally, professionally, at work, at home and in the community.

Being part of something larger than yourself is one of the greatest privileges of being in the Air Force. As you take on the responsibilities of personal, professional and individual development, the most important question you must ask is, “Have you made a difference and mentored anyone today?”