We exist because of the mission Published March 30, 2010 By Col. Stephen N. Whiting 21st Space Wing commander PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- The mission of the 21st Space Wing is to "Conduct precise and disciplined missile warning, missile defense and space control operations; professionally operate, support and protect our installations while teaming with mission partners; and develop, deploy and care for our Warrior Airmen who defend America and our Allies." While we put this statement on posters, briefings, and our SharePoint home page, it is much more than just a collection of words meant to impress visiting dignitaries or serve as eye candy for unit bulletin boards. Instead, our mission statement represents the reason for our wing's very existence. From finance to space control operations, everything we do in our wing supports and improves our ability to successfully execute our mission. When I travel to various 21st Space Wing units, I am always amazed at what a diverse group we are. Airmen and civilians from across the United States and around the world have come together for ultimately one purpose -to ensure mission success. In reality, without our mission, this unit known as the 21st Space Wing would never have been formed, our members would never have become part of the Long Blue Line, and most of us would never have met. In the U.S. Air Force, we are fortunate to be the recipients of a proud legacy of ensuring the mission succeeds while also taking care of our people. Gen. Curtis E. LeMay, the famed longtime commander of Strategic Air Command and former Air Force Chief of Staff, was legendary for his focus on mission accomplishment. In his mind, there was a firm standard for mission accomplishment and he held his subordinate commanders directly accountable for achieving it. At the same time, however, he was a driving force behind SAC and the entire Air Force taking care of the people whose hard work ensured the never-bending standard of mission success was met. Not surprisingly, because of his focus on Air Force quality of life, the award for the best force support squadron in the Air Force (which 21st FSS recently won!) is named after General LeMay. Although known as a "tough as nails" commander, he proved that while the mission must always be accomplished, taking care of the people who do the mission does not require compromising it. In our own wing, our mission is crucial and can never fail. Our missile warning radars serve as a ring of protection around North America to provide warning to NORAD and other combatant commands of potential attacks on North America and key Allies. This is a zero defect mission area. We simply can never be wrong on even one of these warning events...we must always be mission ready. Similarly, the radar capabilities we provide for missile defense operations must be accurate and timely if our nation ever calls on its missile defense system to engage a threat missile. Our space control operations must also be precise and disciplined to track the 22,000 manmade objects we surveil in space, while defending friendly space systems and denying the use of space systems to our adversaries. All of these space operations are enabled by the superior support provided on our six installations. This support ensures our installations serve as ready, warfighting platforms for our own operations and those of our mission partner tenants. In some cases, the mission partners on our installations provide support to our wing's mission to help us achieve mission success. In other cases, however, our mission partners have completely unique, nationally-critical missions that we must support as if those missions were our very own. Again, failure is not an option. The final part of our mission statement evokes the memory of General LeMay by ensuring that our most important weapon system, the Airmen of the 21st Space Wing, are cared for and allowed to develop their potential while always being ready to deploy on behalf of global operations. Our nation sends its sons and daughters to join the Air Force, and we have the duty to ensure they are given every opportunity to personally and professionally develop as they rise in responsibility within our service. Equally, we must make certain we are taking care of our Air Force families as they make sacrifices and endure countless moves and deployments supporting their Airman. In the final analysis, it is our shared wing mission that draws us together as fellow Knights, and brothers and sisters in blue. This mission ultimately supports multiple joint operations in defense of our nation and its Allies. And, as the Airman's Creed reminds us, in fulfilling our mission we will never falter, and we will not fail.