June busy with multitude of visitors Published June 9, 2009 By Col. Jay Raymond 21st Space Wing commander PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- The summer is off to a great start, and things are as busy as usual across the wing. On Friday we held the quarterly Team Pete awards breakfast at the club. The Club did an outstanding job and made this event a success. The competition was tight with the nominees coming from our tenants as well as members from our wing. The winners deserve special recognition. Congratulations to the Team Pete First Quarter 2009 award winners. They are: Junior Enlisted of the Quarter - Airman 1st Class Kristina Ryland, 21st Space Wing Noncommissioned Officer of the Quarter - Staff Sgt. Amy Bogue, 21st Space Wing Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Quarter - Master Sgt. Mark MacDonough, AFOTEC Company Grade Officer of the Quarter - Capt. Daniel Voorhies, 21st Space Wing Category I Civilian of the Quarter - Kelly McFarland, Air Force Space Command Category II Civilian of the Quarter - Frank Reineke, AFOTEC Category I Supervisory Civilian of the Quarter - Myra Hales, Joint Personal Property Shipping Office Category II Supervisory Civilian of the Quarter - Chris Miller, 21st Space Wing Congratulations and well done to you all. On Friday we were also able to host the monthly Deployed Family Dinner. This event is always special because we get to spend time with the families of our servicemembers who are deployed from Peterson and Schriever. It is important for everyone to remember why we place such an emphasis on caring for our families. First of all, it is an Air Force priority, part our heritage and culture. Secondly, when we are deployed it is easier to concentrate on the mission when you know that back home your family is being taken care of. Thank you to everyone involved and to all that provided support, for making this monthly event possible. Gen. Norton Schwartz, U.S. Air Force chief of staff, and numerous other distinguished visitors, landed here Monday on their way to the Air Force Academy change of command. Supporting so many DVs on our flight line is part of our wing mission to provide unsurpassed installation support, and our protocol office always goes above and beyond to make sure these visits go off without a hitch. Great Job! And thank you for all of the support and professionalism that you showcase each and every day. Col. Steven DePalmer, the new 14th Air Force vice commander was on base Wednesday to get a better understanding of the 21st Space Wing. Colonel DePalmer received many briefings, toured the 16th and 76th Space Control Squadrons as well as Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station. We are very appreciative that Colonel DePalmer took time out of his busy schedule to learn about the wing and we look forward to working with him in the future. The Health and Wellness Center held a Ride to Work Day Wednesday, followed by a free breakfast at the chapel. This was a great chance to experience some camaraderie, exercise and have fun at the same time. Thanks to the HAWC staff for holding this event. Fitness is important in today's service, we are all a part of the expeditionary Air Force, and it's important we're fit to fight - both physically and mentally. Lastly, I encourage you to take some time off from work to enjoy family and friends. We all need some time to recharge the batteries and enjoy beautiful Colorado. Remember that we are in the midst of the 101 Critical Days of Safety, and it is imperative that we practice good operational risk management. You are all integral parts of the wing, and I want everyone to remain safe while having fun.