Lt. Gen. Raymond visits Patrick-Cape, meets team

by Heidi Hunt
45th Space Wing Public Affairs

8/5/2014 - PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Lt. Gen. Jay Raymond, 14th Air Force (Air Forces Strategic), Air Force Space Command; and his wife, Mollie, visited Patrick Air Force Base and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida July 28-29.

Raymond toured several units, met with hundreds of Airmen, civilians, received mission briefings and spoke at an all call.

Additionally, Raymond witnessed the launch of a Delta IV vehicle carrying the Air Force Space Command-4 mission.

Raymond said that while all launches are important, he shared that the AFSPC-4 mission is extremely critical.

"The satellite you [45th Space Wing] launched last night [July 28] was the first of a kind," Raymond said, during an all call.

The payloads include two satellites for the Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program.

"What you [45th Space Wing] provide our nation and our joint coalition warriors is extremely important," Raymond said. "At no time in our nation's history have we been more reliant on the capabilities that you launch...and it's not just for our military; it's for our nation.

"There isn't anything that we do, as a military, that doesn't depend on those capabilities," Raymond said.

Raymond laid out three priorities of the Joint Functional Component Command for Space, which are: perform warning and assessment, provide coalition forces and our national leaders space capabilities; and protect and defend those capabilities.

The priorities that Brig. Gen. Nina Armagno, 45th Space Wing commander, has laid out for Team Patrick-Cape align with the JFCC SPACE and 14th Air Force priorities.

Additionally, during the all call, Raymond presented and highlighted some Air Force level award winners and referred to 45th Space Wing members as 'crisp Airmen,' a term he refers to as model Airmen.

"When I think about the 45th Space Wing, I think of a crisp organization," he said.

"I ask that you keep focusing on your priorities," Raymond said. "We cannot afford to have satellites not make it on orbit. I thank you for your mission excellence and perfection."

Raymond also addressed sexual assault crimes in the Air Force and that it needs to be eradicated from our service.

"This crime goes against the Air Force Core Values and our priorities," he said. "There's no room for it."

Raymond encouraged everyone to take care of our Wingmen and teammates.

He spent the remainder of the all call fielding questions about: military space and commercial operations, the fiscal year budget, military and civilian reshaping, DODs role in supporting human space flight, the future of the western and eastern range, and the future of headquarters and wing interaction.

In Raymond's closing remarks, he reinforced the importance of the base's priorities and said he is extremely proud of the 45th Space Wing.

"Thank you for your service, your leadership and taking your job seriously," Raymond said.