Sgt. Shawn Belk, left, petroleum supply specialist, Company A, 404th General Aviation Support Battalion, 4th Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, practices talking down Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training instructor Staff Sgt. Christine Mangus, chaplain assistant, 4th CAB, who is role-playing a suicidal individual, from harming herself, June 6, at the Provider Chapel.

By Sgt. William Smith

4th Infantry Division Public Affairs Office

Fourteen Joint Task Force Carson leaders gained the knowledge to be able to better help their Soldiers through tough times, June 5-6.

The Soldiers attended the two-day Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training; an intensive, interactive and practice-dominated course designed to help people recognize and review risk, and intervene to prevent the immediate risk of suicide, according to the ASIST website.

“The ASIST program helps give first-line supervisors the tools and in-depth training they need to help Soldiers who may be at risk for suicide,” said Chap. (Capt.) Ben Clark, instructor, 1st Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.

“By training first-line supervisors, it provides a more likely person for a Soldier dealing with thoughts of suicide to talk to, because they are more apt to talk to someone who has been through similar experiences, that they know and respect,” Clark said.

Sgt. Shawn Belk left the training confident of the skills he learned.

“This training is going to help me be able to give assistance to those who need it; not just Soldiers, but to anyone,” said the petroleum supply specialist with Company A, 404th General Support Aviation Battalion, 4th Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division. “As a Soldier, I signed up to help protect my country, so if I come across anyone in need of help, I will be able to fall back on this training and help them as much as I can.”

Sgt. 1st Class Cedric Durr said the training prepared him to guide his Soldiers through the steps of recovery.

“This training will help as far as identifying warning signs and tendencies in those high-risk Soldiers,” said the platoon sergeant with Company B, 404th GSAB, 4th CAB. “I now know how to get Soldiers the help that they need. I will be able to provide them with the counseling and guidance (on) how to recover from what they struggle with.”

Belk said the training has made him a more complete leader.

“This training should not be thought of as a check the box; it is real life training,” Belk said. “Hopefully I will never need to utilize it, but I will be ready if the need or occasion arises.” Durr said people can always be more prepared.

“As much as we think we know how to handle a situation involving suicide, there is still something that you can learn,” he said.

The 4th Infantry Division and Fort Carson Mounted Color Guard escorts Soldiers from 4th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, to the finish line of the final event of a spur ride, May 23.

Story and photos by Spc. Robert Holland

3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs Office, 4th Infantry Division

Cavalry Soldiers and their Families participated in back-to-back training events to foster team building, and to give the spouses and children a better understanding of what cavalry scouts do on a daily basis.

Soldiers from 4th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, participated in a three-day rigorous leader certification program, also known as a Spur Ride, May 21-23, while the Family event took place June 1.

Within the cavalry world, earning the privilege to wear spurs is an important rite of passage, and one of the highest honors a cavalry scout can earn, said Command Sgt. Maj. Edwin A. Rivera, senior enlisted adviser, 4th Sqdn., 10th Cav. Reg. Many consider it one of the crowning achievements of their military career.

“The Spur Ride is a mentally and physically demanding event that challenges Soldiers to push themselves in a tactical environment,” said Lt. Col. Stephen C. Marr, commander, 4th Sdn., 10th Cav. Reg. “Upon successfully completing the Spur Ride, our Soldier leaders have demonstrated to everyone that they have the skills, endurance and fortitude to lead.”

According to Rivera, developing leadership skills is just one of the reasons the unit conducts a spur ride at least annually. He said the Soldier spur ride and Family spur ride help build teamwork and camaraderie, both within the organization and the greater cavalry and Fort Carson communities.

“The whole concept is teamwork,” Rivera said. “In the Army, you do not do anything by yourself; it is always a whole team effort.”

Both Marr and Rivera said the spur ride events offer a greater purpose than just testing Soldiers’ leadership skills.

“Spurs symbolize all of the qualities of professional excellence that all cavalry troopers hold in common— esprit de corps, tactical and technical expertise, common sense, judgment and the ability to operate independently, with minimal guidance,” Marr said.

Lexie Coppinger, wife of Spc. Anthony Coppinger, cavalry scout, Troop C, 4th Sqdn., 10th Cav. Reg., and her daughter arrived to Fort Carson and the 3rd ABCT right before the spur ride events kicked off. New to the unit, the couple said they did not know anyone, and even though her husband had already earned his spurs and been inducted into the Order of the Spur, they jumped at the opportunity to be involved in the spur ride week activities.

“Both my husband and I think it is really nice to bring the entire team — Soldier and Family —together,” Lexie Coppinger said. “We just moved here, and the spur ride allowed my husband to interact and get to know the guys he works with better.”

She said her husband was not the only one to benefit.

“For me, the Family spur ride event gave me the incredible opportunity to meet other Families within the unit and start building a bond with them,” Lexie Coppinger said. “Just knowing others within the unit, and being given the opportunity to build new friendships, can help build morale, not just for the Soldiers, but the Families, too.”

Morgan Waterman and his son, Noah, pose for a picture at Iron Horse Park, March 29.

By Staff Sgt. Wallace Bonner

4th Infantry Division Public Affairs Office

Morgan Waterman’s daily routine is defined by his son, the challenges almost commonplace. On a good night, his son sleeps straight through. On a bad night, he’ll be up a couple of times.

His 16-month-old alarm clock wakes him up around 8 or 9 a.m.

Next is feeding his son breakfast, followed by cleaning up the vomit, which happens after every meal. Typically, he’ll have a couple of hours before the next feeding/vomit cycle.

After that, it’s the appointment of the day, at least three times a week. They eat dinner, clean up the mess, followed by bath time and bed, to start the pattern all over again.

For some men, the challenge of dealing with the host of medical problems that come with taking care of a premature child and his associated medical problems would be daunting, to say the least.

To Morgan Waterman, it’s just what he does.

“All his little problems, the G-tube, stuff like that, she gets freaked out when we have to change it,” Morgan said of his wife, Capt. Rebecca Waterman. “She won’t do it, but it’s not a big deal.”

A G-tube is a special tube inserted into a child’s stomach to give food and medicine, until the child can chew or swallow on his own.

The child’s health issues, which resulted in life-changing decisions for the parents, were unexpected.

Rebecca Waterman, personnel officer, 759th Military Police Battalion, said that after about eight weeks of trying to feed her son Noah in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, they did a brain scan and diagnosed him with cerebral atrophy. His blood was cut off at some point; it could have been for 10 seconds, and they believe he suffered a stroke and stopped practicing swallowing while in the womb, an action hard to get back after birth.

Rebecca Waterman later learned the problems were because her blood platelet count was low, a condition that affects about 3 percent of the population.

Morgan Waterman takes Noah to physical therapy once a week and occupational therapy — the feeding clinic — twice a week, peppered with gastrointestinal doctor’s visits and a dietician. Some weeks, there is an appointment every day.

Prior to the emergency cesarean section and complications of birth, Morgan Waterman, who has a bachelor’s degree in business administration, planned on settling into a job. But Noah’s arrival set him on a whole new course.

“We were planning on her getting out (of the Army) or moving somewhere else, so once I graduated,

I wasn’t going to find a job right away,” said Morgan Waterman, who served four years in the Marine Corps.

“We sat down and had a talk after Noah came,” she said. “I didn’t want to force him to be a stay-at-home dad if he didn’t want to (be), and that was the route we were headed toward. My biggest fear was that he was going to resent me for being able to go to work every day, and he was going to be the one to stay home, but it’s worked out well.”

Army Family steps up

Their decision for her to stay in the Army was in large part due to the support she received after Noah was born.

“The Army has given us so much, up to this point; the Army Family was amazing during our NICU stay, me going into labor and everything, because we didn’t have any of our own Family out here.

“It was rough going for a while, but the Army stuck by us, and the friends we’ve made in the Army,” she said.

“We decided to keep rolling for a little while and see where it takes us,” he said.

The toughest part for Morgan Waterman is finding personal time, as the only breaks he receives from his daily care of Noah is through respite care, due to the special needs of his son.

“The hardest thing is not being able to get a regular babysitter, having to coordinate with respite care, having limited hours of that,” he said. “We can’t just pick up a phone and say ‘Hey, we want to go out for the day.’”

While arranging respite care can be difficult, it does allow the couple to have some free time.

“We went to watch our first movie since he’s been born, for (Morgan’s) 30th birthday, just two weeks ago,” said Rebecca Waterman. “That was nice. We coordinated two weeks out so that we could have respite care with him for four hours so we could go see a movie.”

Rebecca Waterman said she appreciates that she can trust her husband to handle Noah without any concerns.

“What I like about our situation is, even normal moms worry about their kids sometimes with dad,” she said.

“I go to work every day just fine.”

Rebecca Waterman ensures she and her son still have a good relationship.

“In the beginning, I was scared because I was afraid my kid wouldn’t know who I am, but Morgan does an awesome job,” said Rebecca Waterman. “When I was working late or anything, he’d call me or he would take videos for me. He was always adamant that when I come home Noah greets me as ‘mama’ so that he recognizes who I am.

In the beginning, he only really took to Morgan, now there’s days where he’ll sit by the front door and wait for me to come home.”

Morgan Waterman is also supportive of his wife.

“What’s really awesome is, on the weekends, even though I’ve worked through the week and Morgan has been with him all week by himself, Morgan still gives me a couple hours to go to the salon, or go do something on my own,” she said.

NCO days live on

She also recognizes how her husband’s influence has improved her Army career.

“His enlisted experience as a noncommissioned officer helped me better myself, as an officer and as a leader,” she said. “I bring scenarios home sometimes on how

I should handle it, or whether I should let my NCOs handle it, and he gives me his advice.

“I wouldn’t be as strong of a leader if I didn’t have his support,” she said.

“We compensate for each other in a lot of different ways. His strengths are my weaknesses, and his weaknesses are my strengths.”

While Rebecca Waterman has always appreciated what her husband brings to the relationship, it was only with the birth of their son and all the responsibilities that came with it, that many of her co-workers recognized his contributions.

Rebecca Waterman is now pregnant with their second boy; this time she’s fully armed with the knowledge of how to protect her growing baby, with regular doctor visits and antibody infusions to keep her and her son healthy.

Wherever their road leads, Morgan Waterman has complete confidence in his wife.

“I think whatever job she does, whether it’s in the military or a civilian job, she’ll be very good at,” he said.

Rebecca Waterman, on the other hand, knows that her husband is the one who makes it possible for her to follow her dreams.

“I love what I do, I couldn’t do it without him,” she said. “I couldn’t devote the time to taking care of Soldiers, personnel actions, without him in my corner.”

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. — Colorado Springs Utilities supplies drinking water to Peterson AFB. Base personnel can get the facts about the water they drink from the recently released CSU — 2013 Water Quality Report. This report (reporting period Jan. 1 -Dec. 31, 2012) informs the public about the water quality and services CSU delivers to the base every day.

CSU staff, as well as the 21st Medical Group’s Bioenvironmental Engineering Flight, test the water consumed throughout the base. Throughout the process of collection, treatment and distribution, certified water treatment plant operators and laboratory staff monitor the water quality for its chemical and biological content. Some of these analyses are required to meet state and federal standards, while others are part of ongoing testing to assure a continual supply of high quality drinking water.

CSU employees test the water at treatment plants and throughout the CSU water distribution system. Bioenvironmental engineering tests water at 10 different sampling locations per month for microbiological contamination that could occur in the Peterson section of the distribution system. The Peterson sample sites include the dining facility, the Exchange food court, aircraft watering points and the child development centers. All microbiological samples collected in 2012 were analyzed by El Paso County Public Health laboratory and reported safe.

In August 2012, bioenvironmental engineering collected annual lead and copper drinking water samples from the Peterson child development centers and youth activities center using Environmental Protection Agency protocols. All lead results were well within EPA standards. One copper sample from the youth center exceeded the EPA secondary maximum contaminate level (non-mandatory guidelines for aesthetic considerations such as taste, color or odor) from older copper pipes, but the copper is immediately eliminated after running the cold water for two to three seconds. The kitchen staff runs the cold water for one to two minutes upon arrival each morning, ensuring the water is safe to drink, and the 21st CES Maintenance Engineering flight has initiated a work order to develop a mitigation project for the youth activities center.

Nearly 75 percent of the water provided by CSU originates from many mountain streams (surface water). Water from these streams is collected and stored in various reservoirs along the Continental Divide. The collection systems in this area consist of the Homestake, Fryingpan-Arkansas, Twin Lakes, and Blue River systems. The majority of this water is transferred to Colorado Springs through pipelines that protect the water from contaminants, such as herbicides, pesticides, heavy metals and other chemicals. Water delivered to Colorado Springs is stored at Rampart Reservoir and at the Catamount reservoirs on Pikes Peak, which then supply the CSU water treatment plants.

Local surface water sources are from the north and south slopes of Pikes Peak, North and South Cheyenne Creeks, Fountain Creek, Monument Creek/Pikeview Reservoir, and the Northfield Watershed.

CSU purchases treated surface water from the Fountain Valley Authority (FVA, PWSID # CO0121300). FVA receives water from the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project. The Fryingpan-Arkansas Project is a system of pipes and tunnels that collects water in the Hunter-Fryingpan Wilderness Area near Aspen. Waters collected from the system are diverted to the Arkansas River, near Buena Vista, and then flow approximately 150 miles downstream to the Pueblo Reservoir, and then on to the water treatment plant. The source water may vary during the year and may be a blend of surface water and purchased water.

To view the complete 2013 Water Quality Report, visit www.csu.org, and click on Residential/Community/Water Quality/ 2013 Water Quality Report (reporting year 2012). Customers without web access can obtain a hard copy of the report at the Bioenvironmental Engineering office located in building 1246. The report will also be available in all base dormitory facilities.

For questions concerning water quality issues in the Tierra Vista Community distribution system, call the TVC Facility Maintenance Department at 597-5950.

For more information about Peterson Air Force Base water quality, call Michael Puleo at 556-7721.

(Water quality information courtesy of Colorado Springs Utilities and 21st SW Bioenvironmental Engineering flight.)

21st Space Wing Public Affairs staff writer

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. — Reassignment? New position? New base? With all of the stresses that go along with transitioning to a new installation, it’s good to know the people at the Airman and Family Readiness Center here provide classes and services to help Airmen and their families to be prepared before you go.

When it comes to a permanent change of station to a new installation, being prepared is the best thing Airmen can do for themselves and their families. It can be a very stressful and hectic time with hundreds of things to accomplish before you set out on your new adventure including schools, housing, commissary, maps, employment and available services.

The headaches only compound when your move involves relocation overseas. But no need to worry because the Peterson A&FRC offers the “Relocation Assistance Program” giving Airmen the tools and knowledge to succeed.

“It is mandatory for me to contact all PCSing personnel on Peterson to make sure that they are aware and have access to all of the different resources available to them,” said Christina Fornander, Peterson Relocation Assistance lead.

The program provides a variety of services designed to help personnel and their families through the process of a PCS move. Services include education, information, referral and support to help ease the physical and emotional impact of relocating. “Smooth Move & Overseas Briefing” offers information from the joint personal property shipping office, legal, accounting and finance, and TRICARE.

When it comes to kids and teens, the “Relocation — Youth Sponsor Program” helps ease youth’s transition to a new place through correspondence with youth of the same age at their destination. You can visit the Youth Center’s “Sponsor a Youth” page for information on youth sponsorship.

Are you new to Peterson? The A&FRC has got you covered too, the “Right Start — Newcomer’s Orientation” class is mandatory to all newcomers to Peterson AFB. Here you will learn about the Wing’s unique mission, meet agency representatives and get training on required items. Spouses are highly encouraged to attend along with the service member.

You’re moving and everything you own is either boxed up or in transit to your new location. What are you going to use for your remaining time here? Answer: the Peterson Loan Closet.

The Loan Closet offers temporary (up to 30 days) use of items to relocating personnel such as folding tables and chairs, fans, phones, electrical appliances, dishes, utensils, pans, irons and ironing boards. There are also car seats and high chairs available on loan, however, the Loan Closet does not offer bed linens.

Also, it is never too soon to locate and contact the A&FRC at your new installation to find out what newcomer resources and assistance they provide. Military installation booklets and additional information can be found by visiting Military OneSource online. There you can search by specific installation and get access to everything you need to know, before you go.

“Many people don’t even know that these base booklets even exist,” Fornander said when talking about the usefulness of the military installation booklets, which consolidate a lot of information into a single user-friendly book.

For more information about the relocation services provided by the Peterson A&FRC, call (719) 556-6141, visit them at building 350, room 1203 or go to http://www.21fss.com/about/airman-family-readiness/relocation/.

The Military OneSource Peterson AFB booklet can be found at http://www.militaryinstallations.dod.mil

(U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. J. Aaron Breeden)
CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN AIR FORCE STATION, Colo. — Earl Clelland, 721st Civil Engineer Squadron power systems mechanic, leads a tour through the industrial area of Cheyenne Mountain. CMAFS is home to the 721st Mission Support Group, which operates, maintains, secures, sustains, mobilizes, tests, and controls the worldwide warning and surveillance system for North America.

By Staff Sgt. J. Aaron Breeden

21st Space Wing Public Affairs

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE Colo. — Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station — referred to simply as “the Mountain” by many — has been home to some of America’s most unique and highly classified missions during its 47-year existence. While most may consider Cheyenne Mountain a place of ultimate secrecy, for Earl Clelland, 721st Civil Engineer Squadron power systems mechanic, it has been a home away from home for nearly 30 years.

Born in Bermuda and raised in Detroit, Clelland joined the Air Force at the age of 20 having grown tired of the Cadillac assembly line.

His first of many assignments at Cheyenne Mountain was with the civil engineer squadron in the Mountain’s power plant, responsible for pumping the Mountain’s life blood through its granite veins.

Clelland, the self-described, ‘Encyclopedia of the Mountain,’ explained it was his goal to learn as much as he could about this exciting new world.

“When I first got here I wanted to learn the Mountain, I wanted to learn (about) my job and the new power plant that was still being built,” said Clelland. “So I learned the books long before I needed to because I was intrigued and fascinated by being able to start up that new power plant.”

The new power plant, built beneath 2,000 feet of Colorado granite, replaced the original that burned down in May of 1976 said Clelland.

Clelland explained the cause of the fire was from oil leaking from a ruptured pipe onto an exhaust manifold.

“We never lost the mission — the power plant back then ran full diesel — so we transferred to our one commercial power source we had,” said Clelland. “We had no (uninterrupted power supply) back then, so we were running on commercial power from May of ‘76 to August of ‘76.”

Clelland, along with the rest of his team, spent the summer of 1976 working tirelessly to rebuild the new power plant while ensuring the mission never faltered.

“That was very scary, coming to work every day,” said Clelland. “We put on our coveralls like we were busy getting dirty. Most of the people in the mountain didn’t realize we were running on an alternate power source.”

Construction on the new plant began immediately following the destruction of the old plant and was completed in only three month’s time, six months ahead of schedule.

It was this drive to work diligently that seemed to be what Clelland loved the most about being at the Mountain.

“I like all of the people I work with and how everybody is cohesive with each other,” said Clelland. “Being able to maintain (the Mountain), and keep it running along with the working relationship with people here is like a big family.”

With the close bonds and near flawless mission execution of the Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station team, Clelland, now on his fifth assignment at the Mountain, said that he has finally found the perfect job and wouldn’t trade it for anything.

“The best thing about working here is the sense of satisfaction, each day getting something done and knowing that you’re doing a good thing for your country,” said Clelland. “Everybody works together — civil service, military, contractors — we’re all here for one purpose, to keep the mission going for Cheyenne Mountain.”

(U.S. Air Force photo/Michael Golembesky)
FORT CARSON, Colo. — Senior Airman David Rediger, 302nd Civil Engineer Squadron Explosive Ordnance Disposal technician, carefully prepares a bundle of thermite incendiary grenades while training to properly destroy classified material at the Airburst range located at the southern portion of Fort Carson’s training area. The 21st Space Wing, 302nd AW and Colorado Air National Guard held the joint training June 4.

By Michael Golembesky

21st Space Wing Public Affairs staff writer

FORT CARSON, Colo. — “Smoke, smoke, smoke, five minutes to detonation,” rang out over the radio during a joint training exercise between explosive ordnance disposal members from the 21st Civil Engineer Squadron, 302nd CES and Buckley’s 140th CES at the Airburst range and training complex at Fort Carson, just west of Pueblo, Colo.

Hot, dry and windy; back dropped by the Sangre de Cristo mountain range, the Airburst range at the southern-most end of Fort Carson’s training area could easily be mistaken for anywhere in Afghanistan.

“Gaming (teaching) in the classroom can only get you so far. Out here we can add stress, heat, fatigue, real explosives and really get down to how the job is done,” said Master Sgt. Benjamin “Paul” Horton, 21st CES Explosive Ordnance Disposal technician.

The purpose of this semi-annual training event is to bring together EOD technicians from around the region that would normally not have access to this type of field experience because of limitations such as too few personnel, funding allocations and availability of Reserve and Guard members.

“We are getting more bang for the buck by bringing all of these different personnel together into one training event,” Horton said about the advantages of this type of consolidated field training.

Senior Airman Noah Wood, 21st CES EOD technician, organized the training event including range use coordination, logistics and securing the availably of demolition explosives.

“Woods did a great job putting this all together. Normally you would see a staff sergeant doing this type of task but we like to train our Airmen young and have them take on larger responsibilities,” Horton said.

The skill-sets of an EOD technician requires continual training and refreshing of tradecraft.

“As the active-duty flight lead, it is my responsibility to ensure these Airmen have the skills and experience so that they can safely do their jobs downrange,” said Master Sgt. Ross Kurashima, 302nd CES EOD technician.

Senior Airman Darrell Linkus, 140th CES EOD technician from Buckley AFB, practiced Afghanistan-specific techniques when learning how to clear unexploded ordnance that can be found anywhere in theater. When he is not handling explosives for the Air Force, Darrell is a full-time fire fighter for the city of Westminster, Colo.

The focus of this training exercise was to give less experienced EOD technicians the opportunity to put their skills to work with real world applications in basic explosives setup, the proper destruction of sensitive material and rendering a UXO “safe.”

“It’s one thing to talk about doing it. Now show me, do it,” Horton said.

Senior Airman David Rediger, 302nd CES EOD technician, carefully laid four sticks of C-4 when prepping an explosion to provide EOD techs a real-life example of how important standoff distances are when dealing with large amounts of explosives. Rediger also takes the skills learned here and applies them to his civilian career with the Colorado State Patrol in Broomfield, Colo.

“I train my (Airmen) for war, this is my reality,” Horton said when asked to sum up the training exercise. “EOD makes up more than 50 percent of the Air Force’s casualties, and (they) need to be ready to execute their jobs.”

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.