Vandenberg-based 9th SOPS recognized as 310th SW's 'best unit' for 2013 Published April 10, 2014 By Tech. Sgt. Stephen J. Collier 310th Space Wing Public Affairs VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- For the men and women of the geographically-separated 9th Space Operations Squadron, it's no small feat to stand out from the 310th Space Wing's "Colorado crowd." Yet, the more than 120 Air Force Reservists assigned to this squadron here did just that recently when wing leadership presented them the honor of being the 310th SW's unit of the year for 2013. The squadron took the honors over its 11 sister squadrons in the wing. The 9th SOPS rose to first place with several achievements, including more than 5,300 hours of support to 104 combat missions worldwide, a complete revamping of their active duty counterpart's training, standardization and evaluation program and the development of the first Reservist certified in human space flight operations to assist in NASA-related missions. AF Reserve Lt. Col. Agustin Carrero, 9th SOPS combat operations division chief, said there were three, overarching reasons for the squadron's success. "First, you have to have quality people, which means you need aggressive recruiting," Carrero said. "Our motto when it comes to recruiting is 'Every Blackhawk a Recruiter.' All of our members are involved in finding individuals with the talents we look for. Because we're "A Family of Professionals", we have a rigorous outreach and vetting process." Carrero, who joined the 9th SOPS in October 2006, identified training and retainability as the other two factors for success. "A measure of our success is how many members can do the mission. You can be an expert, but we need you to take care of your individual readiness, and that includes training. Lastly, we've got to keep the people we have, and that is achieved through professional development. Our members need to know the squadron has their best interests in mind and wants to help them succeed in their military careers. If we nurture and take care of our people, they will stay in the unit. That also means focusing on a robust rewards program, ensuring our members efforts are recognized through decorations and other recognitions when they are due." The focus on recognitions has also led to the squadron and some of its members pulling in big-name awards. One of the squadron's field grade officers and non-commissioned officers alike were selected for Air Force Association awards, one for an Air Reserve Component-wide FGO award and the Combat Operations Division pulled in the 2013 Air Force Reserve Command Lessons Learned Excellence Award, three years in a row. At the Vandenberg AFB level, 9th SOPS personnel generated a combined six quarterly, 310th Space Wing, 614th Air Operations Center, and 10th Air Force awards. "Another important factor in the squadron's success has been our relationship with our active duty partners," Carrero said. "(Total Force Integration) relationships ebb and flow throughout the Air Force, but in our case, both our commander and the 614th AOC commander are in sync. They both know each other's priorities, and that means it's a true relationship. Our active duty partners understand what the (Air Force) Reserve brings." The squadron has given back to their local Lompoc, Calif., community, where members led a food bank event, bagging 13,000 pounds of food and picked up and delivered another 4,000 pounds to 18 sites. Additionally, the Blackhawks hosted a local beach cleanup event, where 72 volunteers cleared three miles of California coastline, removing more than 2,000 pounds of waste. The unit's commander, AF Reserve Col. Ariel Barredo, mentioned how deeply honored he was for the 9th SOPS to receive the 2013 distinction. "It was a great team effort and indicative of the caliber of Airmen we have at the 310th SW representing Reservists in space and being a valued wingman to active duty," he wrote. "Any one of us can (achieve this distinction). We have a lot of great talent in the 310th. We have to just keep focused on performing to our core values as well as be flexible and innovative with the environment we are given. An old boss told me if we are not improving at least 10 percent a year, you can bet our competition is. Thus, we all have to keep driving to be the best. Always." Stay with the 310th Space Wing website for the latest news and information. Have something to say about this story? Click "Add a comment" below to express your opinion!