Also trained at Cooke were an assortment of anti-aircraft artillery, combat engineer, ordnance, and hospital units. In addition to its military space launch mission, Vandenberg Space Force Base also performs space launches for civil and commercial space entities, such as NASA and SpaceX. Active Duty and Government Employees with a CAC can vouch for the identity, fitness, and purpose of the passenger(s) in their vehicle (not to exceed 10 passengers). Units - Air Force Space Command Most of the land was purchased. Confidence firing was the predecessor of SAC's operational test program. The vast majority of the camp was then leased for agriculture and grazing purposes. The Fourteenth Air Force operated as a subordinate space operations Numbered Air Force at Vandenberg, and supported Air Force Space Command, as well as the North American Aerospace Defense Command, also known as NORAD, in support of space mission functions. The launch and range capabilities sustained by personnel and equipment assigned to Space Launch Delta 30 provide the range management architecture and installation services infrastructure that are necessary for the safe placement of satellites into polar earth orbit, while concurrently retaining the ability to confidence test Americas land based strategic deterrent systems. Sun: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. LjQ`':)al7^q4rr !xI/{NDH,QfU=OaA~9s55Q"- If a set number of trespass violations have been reached during any nesting season (50 for Surf, 10 for Wall, 10 for Minuteman), the beach is closed entirely. It was activated in this role in 1994. Lieutenant General Stephen N. Whiting - Space Operations Command [37] The closures are in place to protect the bird under the Endangered Species Act. In January 1957, however, the Air Force had received access to the camp, and with the arrival of the first airman in February 1957, established on the 15th the 6591st Support Squadron. June 2005 - March 2007, Commander, 30th Space Wing, Vandenberg AFB, Calif. 15. The United States Census Bureau has designated Vandenberg Space Force Base as a separate census-designated place (CDP) for statistical purposes, covering the base's residential population. However, the vast majority of these operations were later handled by ARDC. Over 400 separate and distinct outfits passed through Camp Cooke. Additional modifications or improvements, included liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen storage tanks, a payload preparation room, payload changeout room, a new launch tower with escape system for the shuttle crewmembers, sound suppression system and water reclamation area and a Shuttle Assembly Building were added to the original complex. On 7 June 1957, Camp Cooke was renamed Cooke AFB. LF-02 began to be used in 1986 for additional launches. This is for hardship purposes and the sponsor needs to contact the VCC for proper paper work. The work was already in process when the Air Force hosted the official ground breaking ceremonies on 8 May 1957. I encourage you to contact the Student Support Officer, at . WSMC later reorganized to become the 30thSpace Wing on 19 November 1991. Your Military Relocation Site & Worldwide Business Directory. The star Polaris represents the core values that guide the execution of the mission. [3], Over the years, satellites of every description and purpose, including international satellites, were placed in orbit from Vandenberg by a widening variety of boosters. hbbd```b``"~ZfkImrr"J)$@IL ,h.$320MA'?w h It is assigned to the Space Training and Readiness Command, California, where it trains Space Force personnel on space systems. Resources for this U.S. military airport: This page was last edited on 31 March 2023, at 20:18. at the intersection with HWY 1) 272 0 obj <> endobj The launch from Vandenberg inaugurated the intermediate-range ballistic missile portion of the Pacific Missile Range and was fired by a crew from the 1st Missile Division. Established in 1941, Vandenberg Space Force Base is a space launch base, launching spacecraft from the Western Range, and also performs missile testing. U.S. Space Command is one of 11 Unified Commands under the Department of Defense and is responsible for deterring conflict, defending U.S. and Allied freedom of action in the space area of operations, delivering combat-relevant space capability to the joint/combined force, and developing joint warfighters to advance U.S. and Allied interests in,. 0 Vandenberg welcomes new 21st SOPS commander Operations involve dozens of federal and commercial interests. The 395th SMS performed 19 test launches between 1963 and 1965 before moving on to exclusively Titan II testing. The first successful launch of a Thor IRBM by a Royal Air Force crew took place at Vandenberg AFB on 16 April 1959. The following month, equipped with a nuclear warhead, the Atlas at Vandenberg became the first ICBM to be placed on alert in the United States. Construction began on the first SM-65F Atlas ICBM "silo-lift" launcher (Atlas operational system test facility #2) in November 1962. His commission was twofold: Wade worked to develop the DISCOVERER, SAMOS, and MIDAS orbiting satellite programs. CMSgt Cherise L. Mosley Senior Enlisted Airman. Thus, the squadron had a 3 x 2 configuration. The HGM-25A Titan I was the United States' first multistage ICBM. All Atlas V launches from Vandenberg have been successful. Combined Force Space Component Command - Vandenberg Space Force Base [6], The first "silo-lift" launch of the Titan I was successful in September 1961, and the first SAC launch of the ICBM was successful in January 1962. 73, No. [3], The advent of solid-propellant gave the three-stage LGM-30 Minuteman ICBM a major advantage over earlier liquid propellant ICBMs. White took command of the . Both groups were kept separate from each other in accordance with the 1929 Geneva Convention on Prisoners of War, and worked at the post in various jobs including mechanical and civil engineering services, clerical positions, food service, and the main laundry. You can call us at: DSN: 276-3627 The first Atlas F arrived in June 1961 and the first operationally configured Series F Atlas was successfully launched on 1 August 1962. On 1 February 1953, the camp was again inactivated. It was an SM-69D Atlas ICBM (AFSN 58-2190) on launcher 576A-1. United States Space Force Base near Los Angeles, Census-designated place in California, United States, Known United States Army Units at Camp Cooke, Ground-Based Midcourse Defense Interceptor, Federal Register /Vol. 576th Flight Test Squadron > Air Force Global Strike Command AFSTRAT The Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center is the nuclear-focused center within Air Force Materiel Command. A native of Virginia, General Cooke remained loyal to the Union during the Civil War. Please refer to your specific clinic for hours of operation. [22] The draft environmental impact assessment with a finding of "no significant impact" was published in February 2011. Since the demise of the shuttle program at Vandenberg, SLC-6 was once again reconfigured, this time to support polar-orbit satellite launches by the new Delta IV family of launch vehicles, utilizing a Common Core Booster for class sizes all the way up to and including the Delta IV (Heavy) launcher. Space Launch Delta 30 manages all launch and range missions on the Western range that are conducted from Vandenberg, including launch activities for the Space Force, Air Force, Department of Defense, NASA, United Launch Alliance, SpaceX, Firefly Aerospace, and other commercial space partner organizations. The worlds first commercial spaceport became operational at Vandenberg on 19 September 1996 at Space Launch Complex-8. On 16 July 1957, the 1st Missile Division, activated three months earlier in Inglewood, California, relocated to Cooke AFB to supervise wing operations. In addition, many geographically separated units span the globe. One of these Global Shield missions, Glory Trip 40 GM, was the last Minuteman III phase I operational test flight. [6], However, the operational lifetime of the Titan I was short, as Secretary of Defense McNamara announced in November 1964 that all remaining first-generation ICBMs (Series E and F Atlas and Titan I) would be phased out (Project Added Effort) by the end of June 1965. The developmental OBV is launched from an open pad; the operational version is to be silo-launched. Per the 2020 census, the population was 3,559. Space Operations Command relinquished parent headquarters authority over Space Launch Delta 30 and the Delta became assigned to the newly established Space Systems Command. Along with the transfer, SAC acquired the three ARDC base organizations and responsibility for attaining initial operational capability (IOC) for the nascent U.S. missile force. The publicized Discoverer series came to an end on 13 January 1962 after 38 launches (or launch attempts). On 14 May 2021, Vandenberg Air Force Base was renamed to Vandenberg Space Force Base. [22] Demolition began on the pad's fixed and mobile service towers in summer 2011. Major programs constructed and operated during the WSMC operational existence at Vandenberg include the Air Force Space Shuttle Program and the Peacekeeper ballistic missile development program. Vandenberg Space Force Base Information & Referral Services. Vandenberg Space Force Base > Home Their mission also included training missile launch crews. By filing a Declaration of Taking with the federal court in Los Angeles, it obtained almost 6,100ha (15,000 acres) of Sudden Ranch. Commercial: (805) 606-3627. The United States Space Force's Space Launch Delta 30 serves as the host delta for the base. Since 1964, the host installation, range, and launch missions at Vandenberg SFB have been supported by personnel assigned to Space Launch Delta 30, and its predecessor units. %%EOF The Amtrak Coast Starlight and Pacific Surfliner trains travel along the coast, providing a splendid view and one of the few ways for the public to see these remote areas. Please contact the Visitor Control Center with any questions. Units marked GSU are Geographically Separate Units, which although based at Vandenberg, are subordinate to a parent unit based at another location. In March 1941, the Army acquired approximately 35,000ha (86,000 acres) of open ranch lands along the Central Coast of California between Lompoc and Santa Maria. [3], Although the construction of Camp Cooke continued well into 1942, troop training did not wait. Wing personnel also support the Air Force's Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Force Development Test and Evaluation program. November 2008 - January 2011, Director of Plans and Policy, U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt AFB, Neb., as a major . [3], The reorganization allowed ARDC to retain responsibility for site activation as well as research and development testing of ballistic missiles, also known as Category II testing. The designation remained until 1979 when it was shortened to the Western Test Range. VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. - Gen. John W. "Jay" Raymond, commander, U.S. Space Command, ordered the establishment of two subordinate commands to support the warfighting efforts of the command Combined Force Space Component Command and Joint Task Force Space Defense immediately following the establishment of USSPACECOM on Aug. 29, 2019. Contactors, Retirees, Dependents, and Foreign Nationals are not authorized Trusted Traveler privileges. [6][12], The latest missile deployed at Vandenberg in 2005 is the Ground-based Interceptor (GBI) missile suborbital booster for the U.S. Missile Defense Agency's Ground-based Midcourse Defense system's EKV ballistic missile kill vehicle. Maj. Gen. Douglas A. Schiess Persistent site technical problems and a joint decision by the Air Force and NASA to consolidate Shuttle operations at the Kennedy Space Center, following the Challenger disaster in 1986, resulted in the official termination of the Shuttle program at Vandenberg on 26 December 1989. Two more test launches were conducted in 1983 from Launch Complex TP-01. In the late 1930s, Major General Claire L. Chennault organized a group of civilian volunteer pilots to fight imperial Japanese forces in the China-Burma-India Theater of Operations during World War II. [6], The LGM-25C Titan II ICBM was a second-generation ICBM with storable propellants, all inertial guidance, and in-silo launch capability. The Space Launch Delta 30 is responsible for all space launch operations from the west coast, which includes all polar launches. GPX (all coordinates) On 22 April 1960, the fourth and final British-based Thor IRBM squadron was turned over to the Royal Air Force by the Strategic Air Command, thus completing the deployment of this weapon system in the United Kingdom. The unit went through numerous reorganizations after the war and in 1993, the FourteenthAir Force was restructured to operate as a space domain mission function headquartered at Vandenberg AFB. [3], In September 1956, Secretary of the Air Force Donald A. Quarles accepted the committee's recommendation. FyU&USa%gg+x)$Z+R;3nt]M;{9nNbL>>h1)8OxKx#Ie*Dh#$fFLT'htjbqS The Space Launch Delta 30 unit lineage and honors derive from its predecessor units; the 30th Space Wing, the Western Space and Missile Center (WSMC) (wing equivalent) and the Air Force Western Test Range (AFWTR) (wing equivalent). LIEUTENANT GENERAL SUSAN J. HELMS > Air Force > Biography Display [36] The western terminus of the Santa Ynez Mountains is on the base, and is dominated by Tranquillion Peak, which rises 2,297ft (700m) above sea level. On 23 August 1986 the first launch of a completely operational hardware configured missile and launch facility, and also the first Peacekeeper launch by a SAC combat crew under the control of Air Force Systems Command took place from silo LF-02. [6], Glory Trip 77GM, a Minuteman III Operational Test in September 1980, became the longest Minuteman flight test when its payload impacted a broad ocean area target over 5,600nmi (10,400km) downrange.[6]. Members with the following credentials may sponsor up to 10 individuals for 30 days. Following this successful launch, Major General David Wade, Commander of the 1st Missile Division, declared the coffin-type launcher to be operational. An official website of the United States government Here's how you know Official websites use .mil . Vandenberg AFB is a space and missile testing base located close to Lompoc, California. Vandenberg Space Force Base ID/CAC Card Processing. Finalized on 20 December 1968, the federal court established US$9,002,500 as the purchase price for the land. An official website of the United States government, Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil. In late April 1957, parallel renovation and construction programs started. Historian contributions actively seek ways to help the commander know the objective factors that led to the accomplishments and challenges of the unit. As it is currently configured, the 132 acres (53ha) launch site features structures similar to Boeing's Delta IV SLC-37 launch site at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, with a Fixed Umbilical Tower, Mobile Service Tower, Fixed Pad Erector, Launch Control Center and Operations Building, and a Horizontal Integration Facility. [3], The annexation of Sudden Ranch increased the size of the base to its present 40,104ha (99,099 acres), making Vandenberg the largest Air Force base. Notable units based at Vandenberg Space Force Base.[35]. [3], The launching of the Soviet Sputnik 1 satellite into orbit on 4 October 1957, followed a month later by Sputnik 2 that carried a dog, Laika, into orbit, had military implications and caused an immediate acceleration of the United States Air Force's missile program. [3], As the war progressed, German and Italian prisoners of war (the latter organized into Italian Service Units) were quartered at Camp Cooke. In April 1958, Headquarters SAC activated the 576th Strategic Missile Squadron (ICBM-Atlas) at Cooke AFB. We also represent clients in courts-martial, Article 15 proceedings, discharge boards, LOR's, reports of survey, line of duty investigations, OPR/EPR referrals, and promotion/demotion actions. From then until the end of the war, other armored and infantry divisions kept up the din before they too left for overseas duty. Three movable buildings on rails, the Launch Tower, Mobile Service Building and Payload Changeout Room were used to assemble the Shuttle orbiter, external tank and SRBs. [3], On 16 November 1963, Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara ordered a restructuring in the way the U.S. Department of Defense managed and operated its missile ranges and flight test facilities across the nation. The 533rd Training Squadron ( 533 TRS) is a United States Space Force unit. He participated in the Mexican War, the Indian Wars, and the Civil War. [6], SAC launched two Minuteman III ICBMs from Vandenberg AFB during exercise Global Shield, a comprehensive exercise of SAC's nuclear forces on 10 July 1979 from LF 08 and LF 09. In addition to having a longer range than earlier ICBMs, the Peacekeeper could deliver up to 10 reentry vehicles to separate targets. LIEUTENANT GENERAL JACK WEINSTEIN > Air Force > Biography Display C&!VV/&=GG K+a@A'{~i,b[?\ ZFFhph&&BL06EC0B1b@,bg8%+`Z+KpzM? c40>yXAv3F.@/c` U Modification of SLC-6 to support polar missions had been problematic and expensive. Vandenberg SFB | Commissaries The former 381st Training Group, which inactivated on May 31, 2021, was redesignated as DEL 1. . It is Vandenberg's only National Historic Landmark that is open for regularly scheduled tours through the 30th Space Wing's Public Affairs office. Vandenberg Space Force Base - Wikipedia endstream endobj startxref PDF Welcome to Vandenberg Air Force Base California - Air Education and This was the first "cold launch" of a missile at Vandenberg AFB, the missile reaching 600mi (970km) downrange. In response to the Sputnik launch, the United States Air Force accelerated the development of the space and missile program that was in its infancy. This Vandenberg AFB directory features the critical info youll need to navigate through the many facilities and recreational opportunities available on base. Visitor Center - Vandenberg Space Force Base [6][12], A new Peacekeeper Missile Procedures Trainer was dedicated in March 1987. The launch vehicle for this mission consisted of a Thor-Agena combination. Over the next two years, missile launch and control facilities began to appear. The Boeing X-37B, a reusable uncrewed spacecraft operated by the Space Force, also known as the Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV), has landed at Vandenberg in the past. This launcher was the prototype of the ones to be used at the first operational Atlas squadron, the 564th Strategic Missile Squadron, Francis E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming. During the 1980s, some Titan I second stages were used as targets for early Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) testing. This was the maiden flight of the Falcon 9 v1.1 evolution, carrying Canada's CASSIOPE satellite. Commercial Vehicles: Launch silo LF-23 is used for ongoing silo testing, with target missiles consisting of surplus inert Minuteman ICBM second and third stages being launched from the Kwajalein Meck launch site in the Pacific Range. August 2019 - November 2019, Combined Force Space Component Commander, U.S. Space Command, Vandenberg AFB, Calif., as a Major General MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS SLC-6 also features a Mobile Assembly Shelter that protects the rocket from adverse weather. This was the first silo accident at Vandenberg. Air Research and Development Command (ARDC) retained responsibility for the Vandenberg launch facility construction, as well as concurrently conduct research and development of launch vehicles. AFSPC is comprised of more than 26,000 professionals assigned to 134 locations worldwide. Mk|\Dgg\\v~;+CtQynU [44] The CDP was formerly known as Vandenberg Air Force Base, reflecting the base's former name. Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. Deputy Commander, Combined Force Space Component Command, U.S. Space Command, CMSgt Grange S. Coffin IV Delta 1 Commander Vandenberg Space Force Base Civilian Personnel Office (805) 606-3641 The sponsor will meet the commercial vehicle at the Lompoc gate to get a 24 hour pass and have the vehicle searched. endstream endobj 276 0 obj <>stream Apply for the Job in Recreation Aid (Bowling Center) at Vandenberg AFB, CA. Meat Department - Matt Ceja: 3007. [3], General Cooke was a cavalry officer whose military career spanned almost half a century, beginning with his graduation from West Point in 1827 to his retirement in 1873. The first Global Positioning Satellite launched from Space Launch Complex-3E on 22 February 1978. [3] The basic OBV consists of the upper three stages and guidance system from the Taurus orbital launch vehicle (essentially a wingless Pegasus-XL). On 28 February 1959, the first two-stage Thor/Agena missile lifted the worlds first polar earth orbiting satellite, the Discoverer 1 from Space Launch Complex-1 West. [3] It was intended as a replacement for the LGM-30 Minuteman, but it suffered from a long development time, and was retired in 2005 before the Minuteman because of arms reduction treaties. The Flying Tigers became well known for the paintings of the tiger shark on the nose of their P-40 fighter pursuit aircraft and compiled a stellar war record against a numerically superior aggressor force. / Published June 04, 2021, VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. Previous and present 21st Space Operations Squadron commanders pose with U.S. Space Force Col. Roy Rockwell, Space Delta 6 Cyberspace Operations commander (left) and the squadron guidon at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, May 21, 2021. Lockheed Martin Commercial Launch Services markets the Atlas V to government and commercial customers worldwide. [6], On 22 October 1970, the first attempted OT GT70F (Salvo) operational test launch (simultaneous) launch of two Minuteman II ICBMs was successful from LF-25 and LF-26. Individuals will be responsible for the conduct of their passengers and will be required to accompany them at all times.