Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif. -- U.S. Space Force’s first commander for Space System Command, Lt. Gen. Michael Guetlein visited Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif., Oct. 6, 2021.
To start the visit with Space Launch Delta 30, Guetlein held a town hall at the Pacific Coast Club, where he discussed the expansion of the Space Force and its cyber security, past and future launches on Vandenberg, and vaccine protocols that have allowed service members, civilian workers and families to get vaccinated safely.
“One of the greatest things that we bring to the table to get after the fight is our Space Launch Deltas,” Guetlein said. “In addition to launching Landsat 9, Vandenberg just reached a historic milestone with their two thousandth launch.”
It was #OperationFightBack, which drove Airmen and Guardians to pull together and get vaccinated in a timely fashion to do their part in ending the pandemic.
“My intent today is to convince you that we need a unity of effort and a sense of urgency,” said Guetlein.
“This is no small threat, we have now lost approximately 50 Airmen and Guardians over the past several months and the numbers are going up and you would think that we were past it by now, but we are not.”
During his visit, Guetlein took time to meet with various Space Launch Delta 30 units.
Vandenberg’s Wildland firefighter and Fire Dozer team discussed fire season and what they do to ensure base wide safety. The 30th Security Forces Squadron defenders explained to the General their process of training and working with K-9 and horse counterparts to effectively secure the base.
To conclude the visit, Guetlein toured the Horizontal Integration Facility at Space Launch Complex 6, where he saw the Delta IV Heavy hardware and discussed the process of space launch.
The Space Force provides agile services responsive to current and future launch and test customers. They deliver new capabilities at operationally relevant speeds while expanding cooperation to enhance prosperity and security. These priorities are key to being agile and forward thinking in a rapidly evolving space domain.