Rise Up, Hawks! Published June 11, 2012 By Col. Nina Armagno 30th Space Wing commander VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The Hawks of the 30th Space Wing at Vandenberg are part of a proud heritage of Airmen, Department of Defense civilians, and contractors who launch rockets. We proudly serve our nation from a strategic location; in fact, we are the only location in America for space launch into polar orbit. Collectively, we've been doing this amazing job since 1958, and we are defined by a tradition of excellence. As we look to the future, we must consider the environment in which we live and work...the fiscal climate and the needs of our nation are changing. Therefore, we must ensure that what we spend time and money on is well understood and prioritized and that our goals are clear. With current conditions understood and the future in mind, the 30th SW leadership team set out to redefine our mission, vision, and priorities. I'd like to share them with you and explain what they mean. Mission: "We assure access to space for the joint force and our nation." Words matter, and we chose "We" quite deliberately. Every job in the 30th SW is important - each a vital contribution to the mission of space launch. Every Hawk in the wing can say "we assure access to space" because every job in our wing is a necessary segment that gets us to launch day - from our defenders who secure the base to our civil engineers who give us power, water, roads and facilities. Then there are our contracting officers and budgeteers who ensure we're funded and our operators who run the count down on launch day. We do all this for our brothers and sisters in arms who depend on the technology we launch, and we do this in defense of our great nation. Vision: "Innovative team leading the next generation of launch excellence." In the face of fiscal restraint and an uncertain future, the best way to succeed is to innovate. We need to think outside the box, find efficiencies, determine new ways of doing business, and we must do this as a team. Our innovative team needs to lean forward and lead. We will lead the next generation of launch excellence, and we are so excited about that future. Will Space X be shooting for Mars? Will Vandenberg have manned space flight missions? The future is ours to mold. Priorities: 1) Mission Assurance. The space launch mission is why we're here, it's what the taxpayers pay us to do. We need to assure mission success each and every time. There is no room for cutting corners. Therefore, we define mission assurance as doing each and every job with a safety-first attitude, with security in mind, and always in compliance with checklists, instructions, policy, and law. 2) Smart Operations. An innovative team does the right thing, but they do the right thing smarter. In times of fiscal constraints, every one of us has an obligation to do things better and smarter. Technology is on our side, and our extremely intelligent force can and will find ways of doing their jobs quicker, easier, and with even better results. 3) Strong Airmen and Families. Air Force leaders need to ensure Airmen and their families have the coping skills they need to be strong in the face of change and uncertainty. This priority is not the last priority; rather, it weaves among all priorities, constantly, and certainly across our mission areas. Strong Airmen and families are resilient, fit to fight, well adjusted, and we take care of each other. We live the wingman culture day in and day out. And we know where to go if we need help. Motto: "Rise Up, Hawks!" Admittedly, I "hawked" this from the 30th Civil Engineer Squadron. They built a sign for our alcohol awareness campaign, the 30 for 30 Challenge, and I loved it. It is a grass roots motto, and it means so much. The effortless flight of a hawk rising up, the tremendous lift of a rocket coming off one of our launch pads, and the inner strength it takes to personally rise up from whatever is bringing you down. The men and women of the 30th Space Wing will carry on the tradition of excellence that defines us. We will carry on in the face of uncertainty because we know who we are, we know our potential is limitless, and we know we can do anything if we do it together. Rise Up, Hawks!