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VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Following the launch of a Delta II rocket, the 30th Operations Group commander received the service's traditional "hose down" celebration at the Western Range Operations Control Center here at 8:25 a.m. June 10.
Col. Todd Gossett, 30th OG commander, directed his final mission as the commander of the operations group here during the launch of the Aquarius/SAC-D observatory aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket from Space Launch Complex-2.
"It was great working with NASA, the Argentineans and the United Launch Alliance to get this one off the ground and into orbit," said Colonel Gossett.
As commander, Colonel Gossett leads five units consisting of approximately 200 military, 300 Department of Defense civilians, and 1,000 contractors and is responsible for a $98 million budget. His team operates and maintains the Western Range, a national air and space operations/test range supporting all Department of Defense, civil, and commercial West Coast spacelift ops, ICBM/SLBM test launches, Missile Defense Agency missile intercept development and aircraft testing.
The men and women of the 30th OG, wing leadership and the Gossett family crowded around the exiting commander after he was honored during the hose down celebration.
"It is a great honor to serve with all of these guys," Colonel Gossett said. "I am looking forward to seeing great things out of this team for years to come."
In May 2009, Colonel Gossett became the 30th OG commander.
"I am happy to have been a part of Team Vandenberg for the past two years," said Colonel Gossett.