The 45th Space Wing at Patrick AFB, Fla., aided NASA on the launch of the space shuttle Discovery Tuesday by providing weather forecasts, helping to organize and train DOD contingency response forces, and tracking the shuttle’s trajectory using radar and other equipment via its Eastern Range, reports Ken Warren. The 45th SW boss, Brig. Gen. Susan Helms, said the Eastern Range is “a national treasure.”
Air Force Gen. Jacqueline D. Van Ovost—a trailblazer and one of the first 10 women to reach a four-star rank across the U.S. military—retired and passed control of U.S. Transportation Command to Air Force Gen. Randall Reed on Oct. 4, finishing an eventful tenure at TRANSCOM.