PETERSON SPACE FORCE BASE, Colo. -- U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. David Svendsen, a military justice paralegal with Space Base Delta 1 Legal Office, is the Outstanding Performer for May!
Svendsen joined the legal team last year after cross training from security forces and now assists attorneys with administrative paperwork helping to maintain good order and discipline.
“Since becoming a paralegal not even a year ago, Svendsen has hit the ground running,” said U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Lauren Sheeran, the SBD 1’s Legal Office military justice noncommissioned officer in charge. “He has been finding ways to improve our unit and processes, always working with a smile on his face.”
The legal office provides essential legal services to service members, their families and retirees across Space Base Delta 1. Svendsen took initiative when he first arrived to manage the front desk and create a system for organizing a backlog of wills that had been building up. He also created a new checklist for processing administrative demotions which will be incorporated by higher headquarters.
In his free time, Svendsen enjoys photography and videography, even finding ways to tell stories about his work.
“I filmed and put together a video for the Judge Advocate General's Corps 75th Anniversary which won the category ‘Most Creative,’” Svendsen said. “I enjoy working with an incredible team of attorneys and paralegals.”
His video competed with videos from legal offices across the world to celebrate a century of the JAG Corps existence and reflect on the support their units have provided to accomplish Department of the Air Force missions.
Outside of work, Svendsen enjoys hiking the Colorado wilderness and taking wildlife photography.
“During my time at Pituffik Space Base, Greenland, I had the once in a lifetime opportunity to photograph arctic foxes,” Svendsen said. “I traveled over two miles in minus 30-degree weather to get the shot, and when I was returning to base, a large group of arctic hares ran across the road which I was able to photograph as well. My current project is photographing hummingbirds here in Colorado and doing timelapse videos of the sun rising in the mountains. It’s moments like these which make me love photography.”
He plans on staying in the Air Force for nine more years to finish his full 20, after which he would like to open a small coffee and camera shop in the Midwest and teach people photography.