For 12 hours on Nov. 8, an all-Air Force Reserve Command crew were the sole handlers for the Space-Based Infrared System Highly Elliptical Orbit satellites, operating from the mission control station back-up at Schriever AFB, Colo., according to a Dec. 15 release. The airmen are members of the Reserve Associate unit Det. 1, 8th Space Warning Squadron, 310th Space Wing at Schriever. “This historic event marked the second time in the history of space-based missile warning that an all-Reserve crew performed missile warning,” said Lt. Col. Mark Gruenewald, Det. 1 commander. He continued, saying that the first time was on Nov. 3, 2002, when the 8th SWS “performed SBIRS Increment 1 operations using legacy Defense Support Program satellites out of the Mission Control Station at Buckley Air Force Base [Colo.].” (Det. 1 report by Lt. Col. Andrew Peeples)
About a month away from its arrival, the Air Force named an upcoming light attack and observation aircraft after an iconic Cold War-era close air support platform.