VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Community leaders, mission partners and military personnel gathered for the annual State of Vandenberg event at the Pacific Coast Center on Vandenberg Space Force Base, March 12, 2026.
Hosted in partnership with the Santa Maria Valley and Lompoc Valley Chambers of Commerce, the event provided local leaders an opportunity to hear directly from installation leadership about mission priorities, operational developments and the strategic outlook for the year ahead.
U.S. Space Force Col. James Horne III, commander of Space Launch Delta 30 and the Western Launch and Test Range, opened the event by highlighting Vandenberg’s role in supporting national security space missions and enabling global space operations across the Department of Defense and allied partners.
Mission briefs were also delivered by Brig. Gen. Kyle C. Paul, Combined Joint Force Space Component Command deputy commander; Col. Dustin D. Harmon, 377th Test and Evaluation Group commander; Col. Krista N. St. Romain, Space Delta 1 commander; and Col. Keith M. Morris, Space Delta 5 deputy commander.
The annual State of Vandenberg event strengthens transparency between the installation and surrounding communities while highlighting the installation’s role as a critical hub for national security space operations and testing.
Vandenberg Space Force Base serves as a critical hub for space access and advanced air and space testing, supporting more than 54 strategic mission partners while hosting all three U.S. Space Force field commands. The installation enables vital missions, including nuclear deterrence, homeland defense, global command and control of space assets, orbital tracking and training the next generation of space Guardians and nuclear Airmen. With a $5.5 billion economic impact and an increasing launch cadence, Vandenberg remains at the forefront of space innovation and national security.