45th Space Wing Leadership and visiting dignitaries cut the ribbon to commemorate the completion of the 45th Medical Group's $20.7 million renovation project

Brig. Gen. Anthony Cotton, 45th Space Wing commander, Col. Allison Bowden, 45th Medical Group commander, Chief Master Sgt. Calvin Williams, 45th Space Wing Command Chief, and other dignitaries cut the ribbon to commemorate the completion of theMedical Group’s $20.7 million renovation project Feb. 9, 2012, at Patrick Air Force Base, Fla. “I want to thank all our beneficiaries who were so patient and understanding of the noise and space constraints,” said Colonel Bowden. “We now have a facility that enables better patient fl ow and patients no longer have to go to separate buildings to receive the services they need. We have a one-stop shop.” (U.S. Air Force photo/Matthew Jurgens)

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program welcomes 45th Space Wing Commander Brig. Gen. Anthony Cotton Feb. 3

Mr. Don Winterich, director of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program, and Lt. Col. Jennifer Cline, 45th Staff Judge Advocate, welcome Brig. Gen. Anthony Cotton, 45th Space Wing commander, to the Tax Center Feb. 3, 2012. VITA provides free income tax return preparation for all Active Duty, Reserve, and Retired Military and Civilian Personnel of the Patrick AFB community, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., inside the south entrance of the Shark Center. Appointments can be made by calling (321) 494-4718; leave a name and phone number on the answering service. (U.S. Air Force photo/Matthew Jurgens)

What is happening to our trees?

Redbay tree infected with Laurel Wilt disease in the Cape Road Cemetery, in the median of South Phillips Parkway, South of the Morrell Operations Center, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

Fairways Café Open at Manatee Cove Golf Course Clubhouse

PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Airman Brandon Bolden, 45th Civil Engineer Squadron, enjoys the food at the Oct. 19 Grand Opening of Fairways Café inside the Manatee Cove Golf Course Clubhouse. The renovated eatery features an updated menu, including Grab and Go sandwiches, wraps and salads. The Riverside Dining Facility closes Friday, Oct. 28 for renovations, expected to take about 90 days. Diners are encouraged to eat at Fairways Café, The Tides Club, Beach House, and the Rocket Lanes Bowling Center’s Ten Pin Café, which re-opened Thursday, Oct. 27. (U.S. Air Force photo/Matthew Jurgens)

Hispanic American Heritage Month Sabor Latino (Latin Flavor)

PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Hispanic Heritage Committee Chairman Capt. Allan Fonseca breaks the piñata while other participants, including Brig. Gen. Anthony Cotton (far right), 45th Space Wing Commander, watch during Sabor Latino (Latin Flavor) at the Shark Center. The Oct. 14 event featured jalapeño eating and dancing contests, art, food, music and fun for all ages, and was followed by Salsa Sabrosa at The Tides, the finale to Hispanic American Heritage Month 2011. (Courtesy photo by Daisy Fonseca)

45th Space Wing Vice Commander Col. Rory Welch, 45th Mission Support Group Commander Loretta Kelemen and 45th Security Forces Squadron Commander Maj. John Newton recently cut the ribbon on the new Security Forces building at Cape Canaveral Air Force Stati

CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, Fla. -- 45th Space Wing Vice Commander Col. Rory Welch, 45th Mission Support Group Commander Loretta Kelemen and 45th Security Forces Squadron Commander Maj. John Newton recently cut the ribbon on the new Security Forces building here. The newly completed facility is mission ready and replaces an aging building in the Cape Industrial Area. (U.S. Air Force photo/Julie Dayringer)

Air Force Space and Missile History Center

Ken Weinhold, Air Force Space and Missile Museum Association vice chairman, talks with Brig. Gen. Ed Wilson, 45th Space Wing commander, at the Air Force Space and Missile History Center. Free public tours of Cape Canaveral Air Force Station begin and end at the History Center, located just outside Gate 1. For tour details, call 321-494-5945 or email ccafstours@patrick.af.mil. (Air Force photo/Matthew Jurgens)

Historical and Operational

Brig. Gen. Ed Wilson, 45th Space Wing commander, credited with making tours of Cape Canaveral Air Force Station more accessible to the public, leaves the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse during a tour. The Cape Canaveral Lighthouse is the only fully operational lighthouse owned by the U.S. Air Force and is one of several stops on the tour, which also includes historical and operational space launch complexes. (Air Force photo/Matthew Jurgens)

Tours shine light on Cape

Coast Guard Rear Admiral (Ret.) Bob Merrilees, Cape Canaveral Lighthouse Foundation president, honors Brig. Gen. Ed Wilson, 45th Space Wing Commander, for his support of the landmark lighthouse. The foundation’s farewell to General Wilson coincided with an Aug. 18 public tour of Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, now offered by the wing free of charge twice per week, on Wednesdays and Thursdays. For tour details, call 494-5945 or email ccafstours@patrick.af.mil. (Courtesy photo/Ginny Davis, Cape Canaveral Lighthouse Foundation)

Campus Dining

PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Airman 1st Class Jackie Summers, 45th Comptroller Squadron, gets lunch from Cheri Heywood, Aramark employee, July 7 at Rocket Lanes Bowling Center under the newly initiated campus style dining program. Airman who are on meal card status are able to use their Common Access Cards for meals at 45th Force Support Squadron nonappropriated fund dining venues: Beach House, Manatee Cove Golf Course Clubhouse, Rocket Lanes Bowling Center, and The Tides, in addition to Riverside Dining Facility. (U.S. Air Force photo/Eric Brian)

Radar Open Systems Architecture

Maj. Gen. Edward Bolton Jr., Air Force Director of Space and Cyber Operations, and Brig. Gen. Ed Wilson, 45th Space Wing Commander, cut the ribbon for the new Radar Open Systems Architecture 0.134 radar, south of The Tides, with Col. Gary Henry, Launch and Range Systems Wing Commander, Space and Missile Systems Center. The first ROSA radar to be delivered to the Eastern or Western Range, it features a new transmitter and antenna feed, radar imaging capabilities, and quadruple the output power of its replaced legacy system. ROSA is part of a major modernization program to reduce costs of operations, maintenance and support, increase reliability, and shorten mission turnaround.

DoD Eneiromental Award 2011

CCAFS restoration contractors treat chlorinated solvent source areas in the CCAFS industrial area using injection of emulsifi ed vegetable oil and emulsifi ed zero valent iron with a direct push rig. The technology, which has achieved 99% source eradication at other Wing sites, is carefully monitored and controlled using a See DoD page 3 mobile computerized control system.

AF Space & Missile History Center

Just one of many interested visitors to the new Air Force Space and Missile History Center, Mr. Bob Sieck (center), the NASA Space Shuttle Launch Director from 1985-1995 and a Debus Award Winner, is fascinated by what he discovered inside the new center located off State Road 401 just outside of Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Gate 1 entrance on Tuesday. Mr. Sieck, along with Ms. Emily Perry, the History Center Director, and Mr. Bob Willis, a History Center volunteer, are standing in front of a launch console originally from the Launch Complex 19 Blockhouse where Mr. Sieck once worked.

Space Coast lodging competition

Space Coast lodging housekeepers (left to right) Ms. Anita Braafladt, Ms. Mariann Rios, Ms. Hortense Grippon and Ms. Sergia Page enjoy the barbecue held in celebration of National Housekeeping Week. The event included competitions and games designed to improve job performance and boost morale.

Many new options at Patrick Library

Senior Airman Kenneth Rivera, 45th SW Medical Group, discusses one of the many books available at the base library off the Chief of Staff's Reading List with Ms. Marta Demopoulos, the library director. "From personal and professional education assets to the latest hurricane preparedness video, we probably have whatever it is you are looking for information on so come by and check us out," said Ms. Demopoulos.

MAC meets the Coast Guard

Brig. Gen. Ed Wilson (in flight suit), commander, 45th Space Wing, is surrounded by members of the Sea Services during the monthly Military Affairs Council meeting held at Coast Guard Station Port Canaveral Wednesday evening. Also pictured are (left to right) Cdr. Matthew Meilstrup, Lt. j.g. Blake Leedy, Capt. Jim Kuzma, commander, Naval Ordnance Test Unit, Chief Warrant Officer James Dubea, Lt. Cliff Harder, Chief Petty Officer Jason Brennan and Command Master Chief Louis Kitchin. The group is standing in front of "USCGC CONFIDENCE," which is commanded by Commander Meilstrup.

“If you’re even wondering if you need help, you probably do,” said Maj. Kellie Griffith, an Air Force psychiatrist, who also serves as the flight commander for the Patrick AFB Mental Health Clinic.

The 45th Medical Group Mental Health officer wasted no time in getting to her point. “If you’re even wondering if you need help, you probably do,” said Maj. Kellie Griffith, an Air Force psychiatrist, who also serves as the flight commander for the Mental Health Clinic. “Call our office at 494-8234 and we can point you in the right direction,” she said. Maj. Griffith, who has been assigned to the Wing since 2005, ( minus a seven-month deployment to Afghanistan) said she has noticed an increase in the number of mental health patients seeking her care, and of the overall distress level of people around the base -- whether or not they’re seeking professional care.

refuel

When the weather got rough en-route from Natal, Brazil to Ghana, Africa, the pair of pilots radioed Ascension Airfield.

Tropical Storm Fay

Residents of Central Housing awoke to an almost "moat-like" neighborhood following Tropical Storm Fay's visit Aug. 20. "I was comforted because everyone seemed to do everything perfectly, even when we had to deal with a storm that was acting like a houseguest who doesn't know when it's time to go home," said Brig. Gen. Susan Helms, 45th Space Wing commander. (U.S. Air Force photo by Bill Lutter)

Tropical Storm Fay

The Manatee Cove Golf Course took on a lot of water but it opened for business the following Thursday. "The course dried out better than we could have imagined," said Jody Clor, golf course manager. (U.S. Air Force photo by Bill Lutter)

Tower 36 Demolition

One of the two mobile service towers at Space Launch Complex 36 collapses June 16 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., after a demolition team destroyed structural supports. Both towers at the long-dormant complex were toppled in this manner. (U.S. Air Force photo composite by Tom Farrar)

Historic tower at Launch Complex 13 toppled

CAPE CANAVERAL AFS, Fla. – Workers from Jacobs Engineering examine the historic 179-foot mobile service tower at Launch Complex 13 after it was toppled by explosives here Aug. 6.

Historic Cape Canaveral tower toppled

CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, Fla. -- A 1,300-ton structure here is demolished Aug. 6. The 179-foot mobile service tower was used to launch 51 Atlas/Agena space launch vehicles in the 1960s and 1970s. (U.S. Air Force photo)

Complex 19 White Room

CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, Fla. (AFPN) -- The historic Complex 19 White Room here was relocated to its new home in the outdoor Rocket Garden at the nearby Air Force Space and Missile Museum. The structure was lifted by two 165-ton cranes and placed on two self-propelled low-profile crawlers, which moved the room 1,800 linear feet. The White Room, 56 feet tall and weighing 46 tons, was used by Gemini astronauts during missions in the mid-1960s. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Shaun P. Emery)