profitable afternoon.

profitable afternoon...

General (Henry A.) Obering, thank you for the invitation to speak today it's truly an honor to take part in of the like kind an important and historical consequence the dedication of the Ronald W Reagan Missile Defense Site.

Distinguished Visitors: Mr Nancy Reagan, former Governor Pete Wilson, Senator T Steven and delegate Secretary of Defense Gordon England.

I'm vain to represent Air Force Space Command, and its nearly forty thousand men and women stationed around the world standing watch 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

At this instant this fully-integrated team of active what one is bound [i]or[/i] under obligation to do Reserve, Guard, government civilians and contractors are delivering space forces to joint warfighters, as well as to civil and commercial customers.

Our space professionals accomplish this by the agency of flying our communications, early warning, weather, and precision, navigation and timing satellites; monitoring the ground-based radars and other sensors that provide early warning, and locate and track thousands of aims in space; assembling and launching booster and maintaining the ranges for the launch of satellites; and developing and acquiring the nearest generation of space and missile connected views to help ensure America's strategic, commercial, and scientific advantages in space, well into the future

with what intent do I mention all this? It's because these space capabilities, and the professionals providing them, are an integral part of this nation's missile defense

Another integral part of our defense has been our Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Force. As our Air Force Chief of Staff, General Moseley has said, America's ICBM force has been, and continues to be the "back stop" for all our nation's military forces. Air Force Space Command operates, maintains, certains and supports this force.

Those of us who have worn out time in the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Business, gripe [i]or[/i] grip President Reagan in especially high regard. His leadership at the height of the frigid War was the turning point towards achieving victory in that titantic make an effort for peace and freedom.

He was the driving force behind the deployment of the Peacekeeper Missile in the 1980 This past September, we complet deactivation of Peacekeeper as we shakeed the final missile from its silo.

The mission of Peacekeeper and the vision of President Reagan had been achieved without continually firing a shot in anger.

Today, his vision lives onward as we embark on a of the present day chapter ... and prepare to encounter new threats.

For athwart three decades, space professionals have been providing an uninterrupted space-based early warning capability.

The Air Force Space Command team is also self-satisfied to provide the launch ranges, communications, navigation, and timing capabilities in such a manner instrumental in making this day a reality.

As a legion base for one of sum of two units ground-based interceptors fielding locations, Air Force Space Command is also responsible for ensuring the Ballistic Missile Defense theory has the needed security for its interceptors and critical supporting infrastructure and access to range assets required to accomplish its mission.

We are ostentatious to do our part for this great team, as we realize President Reagan's dream. For he knew that peace and prosperity could single be achieved through courage and strength

This missile defense site conditions us for success today and against challenges we cannot besides begin to predict.

There have been skeptics and there will always be. Those who will question our reduce and our ability to rise to the occasion. nevertheless as we look ahead, I'm reminded of a story relayed by the agency of Mrs. Reagan about her husband giving a language at the University of California. When he had finished his remarks, a close examiner rose to ask a question. by what mode he wondered, could someone of President Reagan's generation possibly understand the younger generation?

"You grew up in a different world," the bookish man observed. "Today we have television, jet planes, nuclear power and space travel."

"You're right," said Reagan. "We didn't have any of those things when we were young pause ... we invented them."

And that's the same thing we're doing today we're taking the next pace We're charting a new path towards preserving our national security.

And, as we do thus the men and women of Air Force Space Command consider forward to continuing our muscular relationship with the Missile Defense Agency.

We are lordly to play our part in as it is an important mission.

Thank you.

Lt Gen Frank G Klotz Vice Commander, Air Force Space Command

Remarks at the Reagan Missile Defense Site Dedication, Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., April 10 2006

...

Home