Antigua Air Station; 100% success, every time Published March 27, 2014 By Maj. Jerry Beaver 45th Operations Group Detachment 1 commander ANTIGUA AIR BASE -- --"Silver 91 on the horizon, successful support." --"Copy Silver 91, thanks for your support." This dialogue exchange has been repeated after every launch supported by Antigua Air Station. The 45th Operations Group Detachment 1 has required -- and its men and women have provided -- 100 percent mission success every time. How Antigua Air Station supports the 45th Space Wing with limited resources while stationed more than a thousand miles away from the Space Coast is what drives the air station to be the best detachment in the Air Force. A team of 131 men and women, working independently toward a common goal is what makes us so successful. They are a team remarkable individuals who achieve 100 percent because they share two common character traits; integrity and accountability. When they are confronted with a problem, they own it, and with confidence become the answer to the problem. This can be simultaneously stressful and liberating. Stressful because there is no one waiting in the wings to provide rescue and liberating because mission success is the focus. Igniting innovation is key. If living in the Caribbean sounds like paradise; it is. I embrace reality. It also means we must be resourceful with what little we have to accomplish the Wing's mission with help so far away. When fuel arrives in giant tankers by sea, energy costs are high. In an effort to lower our utility bill and extend our fuel stores, this summer team Antigua reconfigured its diesel generator software. As a result, during low consumption periods, half of the power source is essentially put in sleep mode. From this small change, we have saved more than $81,000, a reduction of $13,000 every month. Folks may wonder about working where perfection is the standard. It sounds impossible. I only offer the following: Think about something you enjoy doing more than anything. You probably never worried about doing it 100 percent accurately. You probably looked forward to doing what you loved, and did it, not until you got it right, but until you can't get it wrong. Because the men and women of Antigua Air Station love what they do, excellence is the result.