Space command general: 2009 'a successful, transitional year': "The commander of Air Force Space Command highlighted the command's achievements in his Year in Review -- 2009 memorandum Feb. 10.
Gen. C. Robert Kehler said in a year defined by mission shifts, the more than 46,000 people of Air Force Space Command chose to thrive, allowing joint forces to navigate with accuracy, see with clarity, communicate with certainty, strike with precision and operate with assurance.
'I credit the sharp and steadfast men and women of Air Force Space Command with our unprecedented success in 2009,' General Kehler said. 'We provided space, missile and cyberspace capabilities with an unwavering commitment and focus on mission success.'
The memorandum included these highlights General Kehler called a most successful, transitional year delivering an ever-more effective arsenal of joint warfighting capability:
'We operate the most robust Global Positioning System constellation the world has ever seen,' he said. 'In 2009, we launched the last of the GPS IIRM family of satellites and anticipate the launch of our next generation, GPS IIF, this year. Our launch and range enterprise extended its unprecedented streak of successful national security launches and achieved impressive milestones with the completion of the USAF Delta II program and launch of the 600th Atlas rocket. Our SATCOM combat capability increased by 200 percent as we operationally accepted WGS 1 and WGS 2, and look forward to another 100 percent increase with the operational acceptance of WGS 3 in early spring.'"
