21st Space Wing
| 21st Space Wing | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Active | 15 November 1952 |
| Country |
 United States
|
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Role | Space Control |
| Part of | Air Force Space Command |
| Garrison/HQ | Peterson AFB |
| Motto(s) | FORTITUDO ET PREPARATIO "Strength and Preparedness" |
| Engagements |
|
| Decorations |
 DUC AFOUA
|
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
Col. Douglas A. Schiess |
| Notable commanders |
Donald G. Cook C. Robert Kehler |
The 21st Space Wing is a unit of the Air Force Space Command based at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. The unit is tasked with the operation of early missile warning and space object detection equipment around the world in support of NORAD and USSTRATCOM through a network of command and control units and ground based sensors operated by geographically separated units around the world.
The Wing’s services include more than 9,000 government and contractor personnel who detect, track and catalog more than 14,000 catalogued man-made objects in space, from those in near-Earth orbit to objects up to 22,300 miles above the Earth's surface and explores counterspace warfighting technologies in the field.
On 12 August 2013, the Wing was told that it would stop operation of the aging Air Force Space Surveillance Systems by October due to budget cuts.
Conduct world class space superiority operations and provide unsurpassed installation support and protection while deploying Warrior Airmen.
The 21 SW operate and maintain a complex system of U.S. and foreign-based radars that detect and track ballistic missile launches, launches of new space systems, and provide data on foreign ballistic missile events through its communication and control with Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station (CMAFS); Thule Air Base (TABG), Greenland; Clear AFS (CAFS), Alaska, and Cape Cod AFS (CCAFS), Mass.
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Wikipedia