Sharks--'Thanks for a job well done'

  • Published
  • By Col. Shawn Fairhurst
  • 45th Space Wing Vice Commander
As we welcome the cooling weather on the Space Coast, we here, at Patrick AFB and Cape Canaveral AFS welcome another annual milestone, the end of Fiscal Year 2014. What a year it was, full of success that highlighted our wing's priorities.

At every opportunity we delivered "100 percent mission success." We demonstrated our Nation's assured access to space with 18 successful launches supporting our Nation's defense, our drive to explore, and our commercial launch partners. We met our Nation's call, whenever and wherever required, deploying over 140 Airmen in support of operations around the globe. We came together as a team, executing an account of over $620 million last year, including over $315 million in contracts...the highest of any wing contracting squadron in the Air Force.

We "Ignited Innovation" to find new opportunities to improve our operations across the base.  A simple speed limit change proved ingenious, saving over 2,700 hours in travel time a year for our Airmen and mission partners working at the Cape. Our medics streamlined their pharmacy operations, benefiting the entire community, slashing wait times for prescriptions by over 40 percent. 

In all, we enacted over 35 "Innovations" across all aspects of our mission, driving operational efficiencies and saving both time and money.

Through teamwork and initiative, we "Invested In People," strengthening the foundation of our Air Force, "You and your families." 

Our Wingman University initiative put you in the driver's seat, ensuring that the focus of the day was on topics that you wanted to talk about. We reinvigorated our Key Spouse Program, with over 60 spouses across Team Patrick-Cape signing on to help our entire community. We took care of each other, from our Deployed Spouses to our single Airmen; we took the steps necessary to ensure each and every one of us was cared for. 
You all are an impressive team of motivated Airmen--Delivering Assured Space Launch, Range and Combat Capabilities for our Nation! 

As we gear up for FY 15, look back with pride to all we accomplished as a team last year. If we "Embrace our Sharkness" and carry our momentum into this year, we'll meet every challenge head-on and continue our great success! 

Thank you for all you do! It is an honor to serve with you, in the greatest Air Force, for the greatest Nation on Earth!