New Year’s message highlights successes and expectations Published Jan. 2, 2008 By Col. Jay Raymond 21st Space Wing commander PETERSON AFB, Colo. -- First and foremost, Happy New Year and welcome back from what was hopefully a very satisfying and enjoyable holiday season. During this period, I know many of you had the opportunity to spend additional time with family and friends while taking some well-deserved time off. After an extremely busy year, taking time to "recharge the batteries" is important and allows us to come back to work ready to tackle the challenges we face. For those who may not have had the opportunity to spend time over the holidays with family and friends, due to deployment or remote assignment, I thank you for the sacrifices you continue to make in service to our country. Everyone in the 21st SW is extremely grateful for what you do each and every day. This past year began in earnest on Jan. 11, with the Chinese Anti Satellite Test and ended in late December with the 21st SW garnering the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award. Looking back on the many successes of 2007, one thing that stands out about the 21st Space Wing and all of Team Peterson is the amazing teamwork that was on display time and time again. In each instance, active duty, reserve, and guard, civilians and contractors, it was our ability to function as a team that paved the way for every successful outcome. Allow me to demonstrate this fact by highlighting just a few of the successes of which I am most proud: 21st Operations Group Operationally Accepts Upgraded Early Warning Radar. Three of our Missile Warning Radars are being modernized to support the National Missile Defense Program. The Wing operationally accepted the first two of these radars, culminating years of work. In September, your hard work paid off when the Beale Radar successfully vectored an intercept missile launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., for a direct hit on a target vehicle launched from Kodiak Island, Alaska. 21st Medical Group earns "Excellent" rating during Health Services Inspection. This accomplishment validates the wing's ability to provide timely access and quality medical care for all Team Peterson beneficiaries ... a capability that would be impossible without the contributions of every single 21st MDG member. 21st Maintenance Group Program Management. Eighty-five percent of our Wing budget is tied to contracts. The 21st Maintenance Group did an outstanding job balancing mission needs with reduced funding to ensure 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365-day operations were not impacted. Additionally, the 21st Communications Squadron completely overhauled our communication infrastructure with the install of the CITS program. 21st Mission Support Group West Gate Project. Peterson AFB has never looked better thanks in large part to the mission support group. This group managed many new additions to Peterson AFB including the new base exchange and Commissary, STRIPES lounge and most significantly our new Peterson AFB West Gate. 821st Air Base Group Port Operations. The 821st Air Base Group operates a deep water port at Thule Air Base, Greenland. This port provides us the access needed to deliver fuel and supplies to our most northern base. This year port operations were cut in half and the men and women of Thule successfully offloaded a years worth of fuel and supplies in 30 days. 721st Mission Support Group Space Surveillance Center Move. The 721st Mission Support Group at Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station has also had an extremely busy year. They replaced the entire Uninterrupted Power Supply system in the mountain and participated in the relocation of the Space Control Center to Vandenberg AFB. Looking forward, we have an extremely busy year ahead. On Jan. 10, I'm holding a 21st SW Commander's Call to outline our goals for 2008. I am confident we will continue to handle every challenge and find creative solutions for the problems that come our way. To this end, I would like to reemphasize my basic philosophy and expectations in the coming year for the 21st Space Wing: 1) Provide flawless operations at every level. No matter the scope of your responsibility, the standard is flawless performance. Because of the criticality of our mission, we cannot accept anything less. 2) Maintain a crisp organization. This means continuing to focus on the mission at hand, paying close attention to the details and taking care of the things you can control. 3) Take ownership and be accountable. This is simply doing the job to the best of your ability, seeking ways to improve areas under your control and standing by to address any positive or negative feedback. 4) Develop leaders at all levels. This is absolutely critical -- if we only go as far as senior leadership takes us, we will not be able to equal or improve upon our success from previous years. 5) Take care of the families of deployed Airmen. At any given time, we have hundreds of members deployed around the globe. It is extremely important these individuals know their families are being cared for in their absence. In closing, I'm excited about what the future holds in the coming year and look forward to the many new success stories that are on the horizon. With the dedication, professionalism, and spirit that exist within the entire Team Peterson community, I know 2008 will be a banner year. Once again, I extend my wishes for a safe, happy and prosperous New Year to all of you!