19th SOPS Reservists conduct Pikes Peak Promotion

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Sean Mitchell
  • 19th Space Operations Squadron
SCHRIEVER AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. --  In 1806 when Captain Zebulon Pike and his men turned back, unable to summit the peak that would later bare his name, he predicted that no one would ever reach the top. He could never have imagined a military promotion ceremony taking place there.   209 years later, Reservists from the 19th Space Operations Squadron did just that.

The 19th SOPS "Gators" set out at 5 a.m. on August 1, 2015 from the bottom of Barr Trail with the intent to summit and promote Joseph George into the non-commissioned officer corps at the top of Pikes Peak.

"This event was the climax of our 2015 Gator Goals fitness campaign," said Master Sgt. Jeremy Correll, DOU Flight Chief. "We started in June by climbing the Manitou Incline, then we did the Bear Creek 12 km race in July. We worked our way up to climbing Colorado's most famous Fourteener, and what better way to top it all off than to give Senior Airman George another stripe?"

Staff Sgt. George's wife Chi was able to accompany the squadron to the summit, and present his new chevrons as part of the ceremony.

"Promotions can be somewhat tedious when always performed in a dark auditorium or sterile office environment," said Staff Sgt. George.  "It was a lot of fun to hold it in a unique and non-traditional setting. I think everyone involved really enjoyed it."
"It's always rewarding to see an Airmen get promoted, but even more so when you've endured a tough
challenge together, faced it head on and were rewarded with achieving your shared goal," said Lt. Col. Sam Baxter, 19th SOPS commander. "Pushing each other for success is really the motivation behind the Gator Goals as we develop a Wingman culture of Airmen taking care of themselves and each other."

Pikes Peak, also known as America's Mountain, is world renown. It is the site where Katherine Lee Bates penned the words to "America the Beautiful" in 1895, and is home to the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, America's second oldest automobile racing event behind the Indianapolis 500. Just one month prior, Staff Sgt. George and his wife volunteered at the Hill Climb event.