Space control squadrons celebrate proud heritage

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Tiffany DeNault
  • 21st Space Wing Public Affairs
PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. --  The 380th and 16th Space Control Squadrons recently unveiled a heritage room for their members to reflect and add to years of history.

Beginning with an empty room with white walls, Tech. Sgt. Christopher Gracey, 380th SPCS deputy flight chief, and Staff Sgt. Nicholas Armbruster, NCO in charge of training, spearheaded the heritage room project. Their goal was to create a place to inspire and educate members of all the accomplishments and traditions of both squadrons, and provide a place to relax.

"We started this self-help morale project to help educate and pay homage our squadrons' history, bring the two squadrons together, and build a culture of pride in our past, present and future accomplishments," said Armbruster.

Representing both squadrons, their slogans are painted on the ceiling beams; Forte Fortuna Juva (Fortune favors the bold) for the 380th SPCS and Tutamine Victoria (With a strong defense, victory) for the 16th SPCS.

The walls are decorated with photos from the squadrons' beginning in the 1940s all the way to the deployment teams participating in Operation Silent Sentry. Throughout the years, the ceiling tiles will be replaced with names and dates of major exercises the squadrons participate in. There is also a wood plaque on the floor to pay respect for deceased or missing in action members.

"With two deployable space squadrons, we have a unique luxury of possessing decades of heritage," said Lt. Col. Mark Guerber, 16th SPCS commander. "As Lt. Col. Dean Sniegowski (380th SPCS commander) said 'Our heritage room looks like a doctor's office' but now it's a place to fill with our accomplishments and founding fathers' accomplishments."

Not only is the room a reflection of history, but it also provides a space for people to decompress and talk about their day or share history stories, as well as a space to host re-enlistments, promotions and other squadron events.

Hanging from the ceiling, Gracey and Armbruster also built six small replicas of the North American B-25 Mitchell Bombers representing the original Doolittle Raiders and the commanders. Five silver B-25As represent the original Raiders and the sixth is a B-25J painted green to represent the present command.

"Tech. Sgt. Gracey and Staff Sgt. Armbruster came to me wanting to seal off the room and take over the project and they have done a Herculean effort to bring back the Air Force culture of history to our corner of space command," said Guerber.

Although this initial project is complete, both space control squadrons have many keepsakes to add to the room with plenty of space to fill with accomplishments to come.