VP and wife visit deploying Soldiers

By Tech. Sgt. Cheresa D. Theiral, Colorado National Guard Public AffairsMay 27, 2009

Army Guard Space Soldiers get thanks from Dr. Biden
1 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Army Guard Space Soldiers get thanks from Dr. Biden
2 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Vice President Joe Biden talks with members of ARSST 26 during a visit to Colorado Springs on the afternoon of May 27. Seen in the back ground left to right are: Dr. Jill Biden; Maj. Tod Fenner, team leader; Maj. Janet Schoenberg, Space operations of... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Army Guard Space Soldiers get thanks from Dr. Biden
3 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Dr. Jill Biden and Vice President Joe Biden pose with Army Space Support Team 26, 117th Space Battalion, Colorado Army National Guard, 1st Space Brigade, during the afternoon of May 27, 2009, at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo. The Vice President was i... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. - Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, visited a handful of Colorado Army National Guard troops from the 117th Space Battalion, May 27.

The couple's son is a Delaware National Guardsman and as a result Dr. Biden has been highly involved in family readiness events and was interested in speaking to the Colorado Guardsmen about their military experiences.

Biden was particularly interested in Army Space Support Team 26, a small contingent of 117th Soldiers preparing to deploy to Iraq.

ARSST 26, a six-person unit made up of 117th Space Battalion Soldiers, will support the II Marine Expeditionary Force with space assets starting in early July.

They will be replacing ARSST 27, also of the 117th, which has been in the theater since September 2008.

The Soldiers are bringing space-based support capabilities and products to the warfighters on the ground - in this case, the Marines of Multi-National Force - West.

"It's our job to understand space operations capabilities and leverage those capabilities to best support the mission," said Team Leader Maj. Tod Fenner.

Such products and capabilities include up-to-date satellite imagery and GPS accuracy for munitions, communications and space weather support, all of which will ensure the most accurate information is available to combatant commanders.

"We'll paint a picture of where a convoy may need to drive or where we may need to perform operations," said Fenner.

The 117th is also affiliated with the Army's 1st Space Brigade, which is part of the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command.