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50-year time capsule captures essence of present VAFB
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Members of Vandenberg Air Force Base gathered at Heritage Park on Sept. 11 to emplace a time capsule to commemorate the Silver Anniversary of Air Force Space Command.
Col. Steve Tanous, 30th Space Wing commander, hosted the event with 50 spectators joining him in placing 2007 memorabilia for Air Force members to unearth in 2057.
"Many things will change over the years," Colonel Tanous read from a letter he wrote to the future commander of Vandenberg. "Hopefully, our vision of the nation's finest Airmen developing and advancing Space Power for America has had the opportunity to come to fruition.
"We want you and the Air Force of the future to remember who we are and what we do as embodied in the Airman's Creed," Colonel Tanous wrote to the Airmen of 2057. "As well as the standards we set for ourselves as described in the Core Values of Integrity First, Service Before Self, and Excellence in All We Do."
"This afternoon we took time to honor our heritage and leave something for future generations to understand life in the Air Force in 2007," said Senior Airmen Steve Cadette, emcee at today's ceremony. "We included items like unit patches from 25 organizations on base. As we transition to the ABU without patches, our hope is our "patch-less" Airmen will enjoy these treasured relics of history."
Other items encased in the time capsule included a pair of battle dress uniforms, desert camouflage uniforms and a flight suit with a pair of black leather boots to show future Airmen first hand what 2007 utility uniforms were like.
Airmen unearthing the time capsule will also be able to view seven unit coins. Today coins are given to members for exceptional duty or to mark significant Air Force occasions like the Air Force 60th Anniversary.
"If coins are still given in the year 2057 these will be a great addition to a coin collection," Airman Cadette told the audience.
Technology continues to be the showcase of Air Force Space Command and as such small items of our digital age were included as well.
"We are confident the next generation of Airmen will find our CDs and DVDs as antiquated as we view eight track tapes," Airman Cadette said. Some of the items in this category included a DVD of Air Force Space Command Today from August 2007, a CD from the 4th Space Launch Squadron, a thumb drive and a digital camera.
A complete list of items included in the time capsule will be given to the base historian to hold in the archives for 50 years when it will be read at an unearthing ceremony in celebration of Air Force Space Command's 75th Anniversary.