Building a better V

VANDENEBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Sections of the Vandenberg Car Care Center are fenced off during construction here Thursday, April 8, 2010. The construction will upgrade the current gas pump storage tank. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Levi Riendeau)

Building a better V

VANDENEBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Traffic is redirected from the left lane to the right lane at the end of the construction zone on Utah Avenue here Thursday, April 8, 2010. The construction will replace aging water pipes to improve quality of life in base housing. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Levi Riendeau)

Team prepares for Guardian Challenge

VANDENEBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Preparing to compete in the Guardian Challenge, 1st Lt. David Shaffer, the 30th Operations Group team range operations commander, works in some extra practice before the competition begins here Friday, April 9, 2010. Guardian Challenge is an Air Force Space Command competition, held every other year between March and May, featuring teams from 10 AFSPC wings. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Andrew Satran)

April Awareness Month proclamation signing

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Col. Steven Winters, the 30th Space Wing vice commander, signs the April Awareness Month proclamation here Wednesday, March 31, 2010. (From left to right) Capt. Jodi Smith, from the 30th Medical Operations Squadron, Ms. Pauline Chui, Vandenberg's Family Advocacy outreach manager, Ms. Sally Galligan, the Airman and Family Readiness Center chief, and Ms. Donna Rathbun, the Sexual Assault Response coordinator, stand behind Colonel Winters as he signs the proclamation. During the month of April, Vandenberg has pledged to recognize Child Abuse Prevention Month, Sexual Assualt Prevention Month and Alcohol Awareness Month. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Andrew Lee)

Unit Focus: 576th Flight Test Squadron

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Reaching into the portable air conditioner, Staff Sgt. Randy Nepomuceno, of the 576th Flight Test Squadron, examines the working conditions of the engine here Thursday, March 11, 2010. The PAC is specifically designed to be used when the missile is in the missile well and some piece of equipment needs further testing in a cooler environment. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Lael Huss)

Unit Focus: 576th Flight Test Squadron

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Replacing the battery cables, Staff Sgt. Randy Nepomuceno, of the 576th Flight Test Squadron, makes sure there is enough battery power to service the portable air conditioner while in field conditions here Thursday, March 11, 2010. What cannot be done in the confines of a bay is done in the field, thus the PAC is utilized when the missile is undergoing malfunctions and is in need of additional testing under cooler conditions. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Lael Huss)

Unit Focus: 576th Flight Test Squadron

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Revving the engine of the auxiliary power unit, Staff Sgt. Anthony Klatt, of the 576th Flight Test Squadron, makes sure that it is in proper working order here Thursday, March 11, 2010. The APU gives enough power to aid in the cooling of a payload as it is being transported to the field and placed into the missile well. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Lael Huss)

Unit Focus: 576th Flight Test Squadron

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Showing correct placement of the ammeter, Staff Sgt. Jayme Baucham points Staff Sgt. Patricia Brown, both of the 576th Flight Test Squadron, to the correct quadrant inside the brine chiller here Thursday, March 11, 2010. The brine chiller keeps the environmental controls balanced on a missile during field inspections and must be tested to ensure it is in proper working order before use. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Lael Huss)

Unit Focus: 576th Flight Test Squadron

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif.-- Suiting up, Staff Sgt. Anthony Klatt, of the 576th Flight Test Squadron, puts on protective gear before turning on the guidance and control test bench here Thursday, March 11, 2010. Sergeant Klatt is a facility maintainer whose primary mission is "dedicated to professionally executing tests that accurately measure the current and future capabilities of the nation's ICBM force." (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Lael Huss)

Unit Focus: 30th MDOS Public Health

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Ensuring a tight fit on both ears, Senior Airman Caitlin Gaudet fits Senior Airman Christopher Salzsieder with a head set for a hearing test here Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2010. The secure fitting is usually preceded with a lighted ear exam to make sure the patient’s ears are free of obstruction so that the test may be administered without fail. Both Airmen are with the 30th Medical Operations Squadron Public Health office. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Angelina Drake)

Unit Focus: 30th MDOS Public Health

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Casting out the water sampling net and canister, Airman 1st Class Megan Necessary of the 30th Medical Operations Squadron Public Health office gathers ocean water for testing near the Boat House here Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2010. Public health personnel ensure the safety of Vandenberg’s beaches by having the water’s phytoplankton tested for toxic chemicals and “red tide.” (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Angelina Drake)

Unit Focus: 30th MDOS Public Health

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Comparing a color example to a test swatch, Airman 1st Class Brooke Parks of the 30th Medical Operations Squadron Public Health office tests the amount of chlorine in sanitizer water used in the Youth Center kitchen here Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2010. The mandatory parts per million of chlorine is no less than 100 for kitchen use and no less than 200 for bathroom use, which properly ensures the decontamination of surfaces and sanitization. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Angelina Drake)