Are you ready for Windows 10?

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. – Airmen of the 21st Communication Squadron work on several computers at once during the Windows 10 roll out project at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., March 22, 2017. The Windows 10 roll out is part of a Department of Defense-wide mandate to update all computers across all services. The 21st CS has been working extra shifts to ensure that mandate is met well ahead of schedule on April 1. (U.S. Air Force photo by Steve Kotecki)

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Are you ready for Windows 10?

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. – Senior Airmen Jonathon Clayton, left, and Dylan Bender, 21st Communication Squadron client systems technicians, work together to bring new Windows 10 laptops into compliance with Air Force standards at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., March 22, 2017. The Windows 10 roll out is part of a Department of Defense wide mandate to update all computers across all services. The 21st CS has been working extra shifts to ensure that mandate is met well ahead of schedule on April 1. (U.S. Air Force photo by Steve Kotecki)

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Are you ready for Windows 10?

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. – New Windows 10 laptops sit idle while being upgraded with Windows 10 at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., March 22, 2017. The Windows 10 roll out is part of a Department of Defense wide mandate to update all computers across all services. The 21st CS has been working extra shifts to ensure that mandate is met well ahead of schedule on April 1. (U.S. Air Force photo by Steve Kotecki)

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Are you ready for Windows 10?

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- Senior Airman Jonathan Feiler, left, and SSgt. Shawn Erway, 21st Communication Squadron client service technicians, work to load new Windows 10 operating systems onto laptops for the 21st Space Wing at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., March 22, 2017. The Windows 10 roll out is part of a Department of Defense-wide mandate to update all computers across all services. The 21st CS has been working extra shifts to ensure that mandate is met well ahead of schedule on April 1. (U.S. Air Force photo by Steve Kotecki)

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Are you ready for Windows 10?

Published March 28, 2017
By Steve Kotecki
21st Space Wing Public Affairs

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- Are you ready to be amongst the first people in the Air Force to use a Windows 10 enabled laptop? Well, the Airmen at the 21st Communication Squadron are working around the clock to get that laptop into your hands.

The Air Force has set a mandate that all computers be upgraded to Windows 10 by Jan. 1, 2018.

21st CS has other plans, and will have the majority of the 21st Space Wing’s computers upgraded to windows 10 by April 1. To do so, 21st CS Airmen have been working extra shifts from midnight to 8 a.m. This rapid deployment aims to get roughly 2,000 computers in operation across the 21st SW.

“We’re averaging between 115 and 130 computers a day,” said Tech. Sgt. Shawn Gumadon, 21st CS, client systems NCO in charge. “That includes adding our software to them, getting them ready for the network and then organizing them for pickup.”

The new Windows machines should be faster and more reliable than the aging tower computers the majority of the 21st SW is currently using, Gumadon said.

In addition, the upgrade to Windows 10 will increase the Air Force’s cyber security posture by improving security features to reduce cyber threats, as well as reducing overall operating costs.

On top of working to roll out of the new computers, 21st CS is still keeping up with their day-to-day mission.

“Our Airmen are really on top of it, we’re still doing our normal jobs including taking care of regular trouble tickets and customer issues with their existing machines,” Gumadon said.

While it sounds challenging, Gumadon says it’s been rewarding.

“It is a lot of work, but it brings a lot of pride to the unit and work center,” said Gumadon.

After April 1st the work won’t stop. The 21st CS Airmen will still have to work out any issues and bugs that might crop up, but Gumadon is confident that by the Janurary deadline all computers will be running at peak efficiency across the 21st SW.