Exceeding the Standard Published Dec. 12, 2008 By Col. Jay Raymond 21st Space Wing commander PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- Looking back at this past week, the 21st Space Wing Knights once again displayed several examples of our ability to absolutely exceed the standard. Scoring 40 of 88 submitted 2008 Air Force Space Command Medical Service Awards, the 21st Medical Group simply swept the competition. From multiple individual to team awards, every single nominee should be extremely proud because you truly represent the best the wing has to offer. Being nominated for an award speaks volumes regarding commitment to excellence, hard work, and dedication to mission success; that being said, the sheer numbers involved demonstrates tenacity in leadership. I want to thank every commander, chief, first sergeant and, most importantly, every supervisor who took the time to submit an award nomination package. Best of luck to you all as you compete at the various Air Force-level competitions. Another exceptional accomplishment from last week was that of Tech Sgt. Tina Timmerman, 21st Space Wing Plans and Programs; she was named the Air Force Space Command, Military Deception (MILDEC) Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year for 2008. Sergeant Timmerman's selection is a testament to her professionalism and dedication to AFSPC and the MILDEC mission. The 21st SW was also privileged to support the 2008 Joint Civic Leader Recognition Reception this past Saturday at the Peterson Club. With nearly 300 in attendance from Team Pete's Quad-Command and a wide-range of local civic leaders, this was no standard performance. The teamwork exhibited in support of this year's reception was truly a flawless illustration of that fact. The 21st Mission Support Group worked in perfect harmony with U.S. Northern Command, North American Aerospace Defense Command, and the protocol offices for AFSPC, Space and Missile Defense Command and U.S. Army Forces Strategic Command to execute an outstanding experience. Your superb efforts were lauded by many attendees and did not go unnoticed. Many thanks to Curtis Clayton and the entire Club staff for putting on a five-star event. Special kudos also go to our Security Forces team for orchestrating a seamless flow of traffic coming and leaving the base. This week, Chief Master Sgt. Tim Omdal and I had the distinct privilege of attending the Joint Functional Component Command and 14th Air Force change of command ceremony at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. During the ceremony Lt. Gen. William L. Shelton relinquished command to Lt. Gen. Larry D. James. I'd like to personally extend a welcome to General James and his wife Susan. Additionally, I bid a special send-off to General Shelton and his wife Linda; you have been an absolute proponent to our successes in space dominance. Best wishes to you both in your new assignment. Looking to the future, with only 20 days until the New Year and roughly two months until our compliance is examined, the 21st SW conducted yet another Condor Crest exercise to continue to redouble our readiness and base capabilities. To this end, I would like to reemphasize my fundamental expectation in the coming months: flawless operations are the standard of the 21st Space Wing, not our goal. We cannot and must not accept anything less. Let's continue the aggressive focus on our mission and attention to detail, and together we'll ensure the 21st Space Wing remains the Air and Space Superiority Wing. Have a wonderful week.