Team Pete base operators scheduled to be phased out Published Sept. 17, 2014 By Staff Sgt. J. Aaron Breeden 21st Space Wing Public Affairs PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- At the beginning of the new fiscal year Peterson AFB's operators will shorten service hours to 6:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday-Friday. This change is part of an Air Force level mandate requiring wings to reduce manning to Fiscal Year 2010 levels. Although these changes are slated to occur the first of October, said Capt. Neftali Herrada, 21st Communications Operations Flight commander, the operators currently on staff will remain in their billets until they are reassigned. "With any change, we are asking our customers to please be patient," said Herrada. "People often call and take out their frustrations on the operators, but they need to be aware that this change is affecting the operators just as much, if not more than our customers." Herrada added that the 21st Communications Squadron is also developing a phone tree to help callers locate base agencies they need to contact. "We have developed a system based on the most frequently called numbers that will allow callers to still contact units around base," said Herrada. "We understand that it will take some getting used to, but we are confident in our solution." The phone tree went into effect Sept. 15 and will be the default answering system outside of the operator's new fiscal year hours. Once all operators are reassigned, this system will be in-place full time. The 21st CS is also working to update publically available phone listings and telephone self-help options to assist customers. Continue to monitor the www.peterson.af.mil website and the 21st Space Wing Facebook page for follow-ups to this story.