BUCKLEY SPACE FORCE BASE, Colo. – The Colorado National Guard’s 138th Electromagnetic Warfare Squadron hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the opening of its new facility at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado Springs Aug. 5.
The ceremony represented the next step in Colorado Air National Guard Space operations and resulted from a multiyear effort by hundreds of people.
The facility will be the permanent home of the 138th EWS and the foundation for unit — or according to their motto — “Ghostrider” operations.
“This ribbon-cutting ceremony, demonstrated by our squadron’s military construction project as ready for beneficial occupancy, symbolizes a major step toward the 138th Electromagnetic Warfare Squadron achieving full-operational capability,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Andrew Gold, commander, 138th EWS.
“This is a momentous event for our squadron, the 233rd Space Group, and the 140th Wing,” he said. “This day would not be possible without the incredible dedication and support of the 140th Civil Engineering Squadron, 140th Wing Contracting Office, our National Guard Bureau partners, and numerous other individuals and agencies who helped see this project through to success.”
The new facility provides 138th Airmen with a state-of-the-art building that will increase readiness and modernization through more efficient training so they can focus on accomplishing their real-world mission. The centralized location will enable more Colorado Guard members to train for critical federal and state missions.
Air National Guard Space EW squadrons have consistently deployed to the U.S. Central Command and U.S. Africa Command theaters since 2018. The units typically deploy to Space EW Counter Communications Systems already in theater.
The 138th Space Control Squadron was formed in May 2019 and has rapidly improved the training environment to create the most realistic wartime scenarios possible, preparing space professionals for future wartime missions.
U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Edward Vaughan, director of space operations for the National Guard, who attended the ceremony, said Air National Guard space units constitute 32% of all U.S. Space Force unit-equipped space operations squadrons, and the Guard works hand-in-hand with the U.S. Space Force to provide the National Guard's proven and critical space capability to meet National Security Strategy/National Defense Strategy priorities.