Wing Unveils New Mission, Vision Statements And Priorities

Apr 11, 2011 Schriever AFB CO (SPX)

The 50th Space Wing has a new mission. No not a new satellite this time, but a new mission statement along with a new vision statement. Col. Wayne Monteith, 50 SW commander, unveiled the new statements along with updated priorities during his commander's call here March 28. "The new mission and vision statements better reflect our role in today's fight and future operations," he said. The wing's senior leadership worked the revision for about two months, focusing efforts on the role the wing has in the Air Force and the joint fight. "We are clearly on the cutting edge in both space and cyberspace operations and we support the air domain through our communications, navigation and intelligence capabilities," said Colonel Monteith. Airmen are likely to find the new mission, vision and priorities as a call to action.

"The new mission, vision and priorities make it easier for Airmen to identify and act on them. They become appealing to them on a more personal level," said Chief Master Sgt. Randy LaCombe, 50 SW command chief. The revised priorities are more inclusive than their predecessors, particularly the "Advance operations to dominate in a contested environment" priority. "This priority makes it clear that we cannot rest on our laurels; we have to push forward," said Colonel Monteith. "Our domain is increasingly contested and congested. We must perform flawless operations today but we have to keep focused on tomorrow to maintain our space and cyberspace supremacy."

Senior leaders looked beyond their impact on the battlefield when they included "deliver decisive global combat effects in support of national security objectives" in the new mission statement. "Through [the Global Positioning System] we support not only our national economy but also the world's economy," said Colonel Monteith. "GPS is intertwined into our everyday lives from banking transactions to the more traditional navigational role. This wasn't reflected in our previous mission statement. Without GPS the world economy would come to a screeching halt." The wing's previous mission statement was established 18 months ago, early in Colonel Monteith's tenure as wing commander. Armed with a better understanding of the wing's impact, he worked with senior leaders to develop the new mission, vision and priorities he introduced this week.