PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. - The 1st Space Brigade welcomed home two six-member Army Space Support Teams - one from the 1st Space Battalion and the other from the 117th Space Battalion (Colorado Army National Guard) - during a re-deployment ceremony at the Peterson Club Dec. 6.
"One thing that is unique about this ceremony is that these teams are made up of citizen Soldiers," said Col. James Meisinger, commander, 1st Space Brigade. "ARSST 11 from the 1st Space Battalion is made up of Army Reserve (Soldiers), and ARSST 21 is Army National Guard. It doesn't take a study of history to realize this nation has never won a war without full participation of the Guard and Reserve. That is the great thing about these two teams."
Lt. Col. Patrick Mullin, commander of the 1st Space Battalion, pointed to fact that this ceremony was not only about the teams and their accomplishments but that of the family members in attendance.
"Here, today, we have mothers and fathers, husbands and wives, brothers and sisters, and sons and daughters of these Soldiers," said Mullin. "I think it is extremely important that we recognize your sacrifice, because without your support these Soldiers could not have accomplished the great things that they have done.
"A few weeks ago Command Sgt. Maj. Marcus Jones and I had the distinct opportunity to travel to Afghanistan and listen first-hand to the Army Space Support Teams currently in theater," Mullin said. "The accomplishments these teams have made are evident. The teams that have taken over for them gave us a full rundown on the things they have been doing. And I can assure you they have made a big impact."
Maj. Joseph Paladino, executive officer, 117th Space Battalion (COARNG), praised the Soldiers for the excellent job they did.
"They learned every job and never ceased to amaze us in how well they integrated space-based capabilities across the entire spectrum," Paladino said.
Afterward both Mullin and Paladino received their battalion's mission coin from their respective team leaders - Maj. Zachary Conly, team leader for ARSST 11, and Maj. Jason Griffith, team leader for ARSST 21.
ARSST support the Warfighter on the ground by delivering space-based capabilities such as satellite communications, position, navigation and timing, space weather, and satellite imagery.
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