Thirty Days with Space and Cyber Airmen

by Senior Master Sgt. Dean J. Miller
Air Force Space Command Public Affairs

9/3/2014 - COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Air Force Space Command invites Airmen, their families and the public to follow online as the 3rd Combat Camera Squadron tells the story of Airmen and mission partners conducting critical space and cyber missions during the month of September. The team will have unprecedented access to critical national defense missions and the Airmen who conduct them.

A four-Airman combat camera team of photojournalists and broadcasters is visiting critical Air Force Space and Cyber missions throughout September. The story begins this week in Colorado Springs, Colorado with Air Force Space Command Headquarters and the 21st Space Wing at Peterson AFB, and then the 50th Space Wing at Schriever AFB.

Later in the month the team visits Cape Cod Air Force Station, Massachusetts; the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Labs; New Boston AFS, New Hampshire; Patrick AFB, Cape Canaveral AFS, Hurlburt Field and Eglin AFB in Florida; Kirtland AFB and Socorro, New Mexico and then Vandenberg AFB and the Space and Missile Center in California.

AFSPC Airmen form the nation's mission-ready space and cyberspace forces and deliver capabilities for North American Aerospace Defense Command, U.S. Strategic Command and other combatant commands around the world. The command provides global Air Force network operations; manages a global network of satellite command and control, communications, missile warning and space launch facilities; the command is also responsible for space system development and acquisition.
"Space and cyberspace capabilities are foundational to every mission of the Defense Department," said Col. John Dorrian, AFSPC Director of Public Affairs. "Our joint, interagency, coalition partners and people around the world rely on AFSPC Airmen and the critical missions we conduct; this is an opportunity to showcase our people and the great missions the command executes every day."

Airmen will share their story with the American people through the lens and pen of the combat camera team. Stories and images will collectively represent the missions of 40,000 space and cyberspace professionals assigned to 134 worldwide locations.
The combat camera team is led by Tech Sgt. Scott Olguin and includes Staff Sgt. Jarrod Chavana, Senior Airman Alex Goad and Airman 1st Class Krystal Ardrey.

Olguin, from Albuquerque, New Mexico, is the 3d CTCS Documentation Flight, Broadcast element NCOIC with 15 years in the Air Force. Previous experience includes running the largest English-language radio station in Tokyo and serving as operations manager for the Armed Forces Network in the United Kingdom and Afghanistan.

Chavana, from Rockport, Texas, is a social media specialist with 7 years in the Air Force. Previous experience includes documentation of Air Force operations in Iraq including the 2010 Iraqi elections and withdraw of U.S. forces. In 2013 he deployed to Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras, where he served as the Joint Task Force-Bravo Public Affairs NCOIC.

Goad, from Bremerton, Washington, is a combat broadcaster with 3 years in the Air Force. Previous experience includes documentation of the first U.S. Air Force detachment's activation in Poland.

Ardrey, from Susanville, California, is a combat photojournalist with 3 years in the Air Force. Previous experience includes documentation of a subject matter expert exchange between the U.S. and Mexico.

"Our team is excited to visit AFSPC Airmen and their work centers to share their mission with the American people through photos, stories and a social media effort," said Olguin. "The Airmen and the command have an amazing scope of responsibilities; from flying the GPS constellation and providing that signal to the world, to managing the Air Force network and cyber operations, to providing Space Situational Awareness and managing national space launch and range resources...and so much more."

"We want this effort to be interactive and we encourage Airmen, their families and the public to join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter," said Olguin. "This is a chance to express pride in space and cyber units, missions, and the Airmen who make it all possible."

Throughout the mission, Olguin and his team will post coverage on official Air Force Space Command website: www.afspc.af.mil and on the Air Force Space Command Facebook site: www.facebook.com/AirForceSpaceCommand. The team will also highlight activities and Airmen on the command Twitter account: afspace. Audiences can follow Twitter coverage under #30daysAFSPC