Annual Awards

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Master Sgt. Steven Colon, 576 Flight Test Squadron, receives a certificate as an annual award nominee from Col. Steve Tanous and Command Chief Master Sgt. Cari Kent during the Annual Awards ceremony on Feb. 1, at the Pacific Coast Club. Master Sgt. Colon was nominated for First Sergeant of the Year, representing the 595th Space Group. The awards ceremony was held to honor the annual award winners from Vandenberg's associate units, the 30 space wing, and the overall winners for the base, more commonly known as Team Vandenberg. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Ashley Hawkins)

Annual Awards

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Capt. Niklaus Pleisch, a 30th Comptroller Squadron, receives a certificate as an annual award nominee from Col. Steve Tanous and Command Chief Master Sgt. Cari Kent during the Annual Awards ceremony on Feb. 1, at the Pacific Coast Club. Capt. Pleisch was nominated for Company Grade Officer of the Year, representing the 30th Space Wing-Wing Staff Agency. The awards ceremony was held to honor the annual award winners from Vandenberg's associate units, the 30 space wing, and the overall winners for the base, more commonly known as Team Vandenberg. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Ashley Hawkins)

Blood Drive

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Janel Stewart, a donor care specialist with United Blood Services, prepares blood bags on Feb. 6. Forty-three people volunteered to donate a pint of blood to the United Blood Services. The blood is used to treat patients in such instances as open heart surgery, hip replacement, women giving birth, and cancer patients. United Blood Services Central Coast covers Ventura to Salinas and must acquire a minimum of 275 units a day to operate effectively. (U.S Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Stephanie Longoria)

A fork in the road

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Senior Airman Trey Lewis, a photographer with 30th Space Wing Public Affairs Office, revisits the events leading up to his Driving Under the Influence charge. Airman Lewis lived a life of partying and was arrested for a DUI charge in May 2005 in San Luis Obispo, Calif. However, Airman Lewis has used his experience as a turning point in his life. He has devoted his new life to helping others. ( U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Russell McBride)

Civil Engineer Operations Flight Keeps Water on Tap

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Staff Sgt. Cedric Morris, a utilities systems specialist with the 30th Civil Engineer Squadron, uses a pipe cutter on Jan. 31. Pipe cutters are often a faster and more convenient way of cutting pipe than using a hacksaw because they produce a clean cut. The 30th CES mission is to take care of each other while delivering superior Civil Engineering services to their customers. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Christian Thomas)

21st SOPS moves to Vandenberg

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif -- Mr. Mitch Tharaldson, RQ Construction, Col. Stephen Tanous, 30th Space Wing Commander, Lt. Col. Sam MCneal, 21st Space Operations Commander, and Lt. Col. Martha Kiene, Army Corps of Engineers, break ground to kick off the construction phase of the new Satellite Control Facility on Jan. 23. The new facility finds its home at Vandenberg due to the close of Onizuka Air Force Base in Sunnyvale, California where the 21st Space Operations Squadron resides. The new infrastructure will house command and control instruments as well as satellite operators to support the space mission. These operations include missile warning systems, meteorological data, NASA launch and re-entry missions, and intelligence related projects. As many as 500 operations a day can take place using antennas around the world to link to network and satellites which is essential to National Security. (U. S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Adam Guy)