Manpower squadron now calls Peterson home

Published April 25, 2011
By Monica Mendoza
21st Space Wing Public Affairs staff writer

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- The 4th Manpower Requirements Squadron, which had been temporarily located at Buckley Air Force Base in Denver, has found a new home on Peterson Air Force Base.

The move to Peterson AFB will allow the squadron to work more closely with Air Force Space Command, said Lt. Col. Ernest Wearren, 4th MRS commander.

"With us being co-located with Space Command, the communication will be much better," he said. "We can be engaged with them more on a daily basis and we can give them more timely products."

In 2006, the Air Force Manpower Requirements Determination Squadron, headquartered on Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, stood up several manpower squadrons to more effectively meet the needs of today's expeditionary Air Force and to better position itself to support future capabilities.

But, the 4th MRS never had a permanent home, Colonel Wearren said. Instead, it moved into the Buckley AFB Annex, which was on the Base Realignment and Closure list.

"We knew we were only there temporarily," he said.

The 4th MRS, which is the operational arm of the management engineering program for the Air Force and determines manpower requirements for Air Force units, was given an April 1 deadline to move out of the Buckley Annex.

In search of a permanent location, it had a few false starts, Colonel Wearren said. Then, his team visited Peterson AFB and met with the 21st Civil Engineer Squadron. The Air Force Space Command Inspector General was moving out of Building 391, a 9,325-square-foot facility built during World War II.

"There were a lot of dominoes that had to fall into place in order for us to get here on time," Colonel Wearren said. "If we didn't get this done on time, we would have been homeless."

The 21st CES worked through the winter months on the $1.57 million project to transform the post WWII building, adjacent to the Peterson Air and Space Museum, into a modern office space for Peterson's newest mission partner.

"All design and renovations were accomplished in a record six months to accommodate the unit's needs," said Rob Dixon, 21st CES architect. "This World War II era facility was transformed from an inefficient, outdated, and run-down structure with antiquated systems into a state-of-the-art, energy conservative facility that meets today's codes, and Air Force and Peterson AFB standards."

The 4th MRS relocated 43 people to Peterson - eight officers, 19 enlisted personnel and 16 civilians - two weeks ahead of schedule. They join 53 other mission partners who call Peterson AFB home.

"I have an awesome squadron," Colonel Wearren said. "People here have a great attitude. The 21st Space Wing has welcomed us with open arms."

4th MRS relocates to Peterson