216 SPCS enables CFSCC mission, assures access to space through spectrum warfare

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Esmeralda Sanchez Avila, 216th Space Control Squadron (SPCS) radio frequency transmission specialist, looks over an the large multi-band antenna (LMA) June 22, 2022, at Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif. Sanchez Avila has been with the 216 SPCS since 2018 and maintains the weapons systems through preventative maintenance inspections, antenna mobility checks, system cleanliness, and all the pieces of the LMA are working properly. (U.S. Space Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Luke Kitterman) “We have ‘space’ in our unit’s name and most people associate that with the operators but I don’t think anyone has such a closer relationship to the system as us,” said Sanchez Avila. “We know the ins and outs of the equipment and antennas—how to set them up, tear down, keep them clean and we are the ones that fix the issues to get the system working again. I take great pride in what I do because I know what I do directly effects boots on the ground.”