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Vandenberg to hold dedication ceremony
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The Air Force will hold a dedication ceremony for the new Ellison Onizuka Satellite Operations Facility, which will be home to the 21st Space Operations Squadron at 10 a.m. here Friday, July 30, 2010.
Onizuka Air Force Station, located in Sunnyvale, Calif., officially closed Wednesday, July 28, and base operations were moved here Thursday, July 29. The 21st Space Operations Squadron transferred along with the mission here continuing operations at the new satellite facility.
The 21st SOPS continues the legacy of Col. Ellison Onizuka, an Air Force astronaut aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger, which exploded shortly after lift-off on Jan. 28, 1986. The mission of the 21st SOPS is to plan and conduct specialized communications for a wide spectrum of Department of Defense, allied, civil, and national space systems. As the squadron transfers to its new location here, it brings along two military positions and 23 DoD civilian positions.