Defending a nation can be a family affair

Published April 24, 2018
By Robb Lingley
21st Space Wing Public Affairs

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- Emily and Scott are stationed less than 20 miles from the United States border with Canada. Winters can be rough, and the closest fast food joint is 25 miles away. Cavalier Air Force Station, North Dakota, may be the Air Force’s only continental U.S. isolated installation, but that doesn’t separate two U.S. Air Force Academy graduates.

1st Lt. Emily Lagarile, 10th Space Warning Squadron chief of training and Scott Lagarile, 10th SWS chief of weapons and tactics both attended the Air Force Academy but never met. They finally did meet early in their careers at the 20th Space Control Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.

Just over two and a half years later they married while on their way to Cavalier AFS in Virginia Beach, Virginia, which is Scott’s hometown.

Emily is originally from Kansas City, Kansas, and is the third generation of her family to serve, commissioning from the Air Force Academy in 2015. Scott is a second generation U.S. citizen who followed his father’s legacy of military service by first enlisting in the Air Force as a special operations aircraft maintainer. He then went to the Air Force Academy and commissioned in 2013.

Scott works to build better techniques and procedures for the phased-array radar weapon system while also providing advanced training to better prepare space operators. Emily ensures new operators are well prepared to execute the missile warning and space situational awareness missions.

The Lagarile’s delayed their honeymoon after marriage but finally went on it this month.

“We were excited to finally go on our honeymoon this month and traveled all over southeast Asia,” said Scott.

Scott and Emily operate the Perimeter Acquisition Radar Attack Characterization System to protect our northern border from strategic missile attack providing critical missile warning capability to our nation’s leaders.

In addition to providing missile warning, Scott said they also employ the PARCS weapon system’s Space Situational Awareness capability and bring vital space object identification data to the intelligence community.

Since being in North Dakota, Scott and Emily have picked up on various activities like shooting, cooking, board games and going to the base gym. Emily is also an avid runner and is training for a race called the Leadville Trail 100 Run held in Leadville, Colorado, in August.

“Living here is definitely different from our previous assignment in Florida,” said Emily. “We’re pretty isolated and a trip to the nearest big city takes an hour and a half each way. We live on base and the community up here is great. Our squadron is pretty close and spends a lot of time together because it’s a remote assignment.”

Whenever they have time to travel they try to take advantage of the surrounding area and frequent places like Winnipeg, Canada and Minneapolis, Minnesota.

“The squadron has also given us the chance to truly embrace all that North Dakota has to offer like fishing, ice fishing, dog sledding and even curling,” said Emily.

The Lagarile’s love their jobs and think it’s great that they both understand the language of space and the Air Force, and also the struggles that come with the job. Working opposite schedules can be difficult, but Emily and Scott said they are proud to serve their country together and have only grown closer through their experience.