Unit marks 50 years of NASA support

  • Published
  • By Maj. Tom Cross
  • Detachment 3, 45th Operations Group
PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (AFNS) --  Three NASA astronauts visited Patrick Air Force Base members April 24 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of support from the Air Force to the American space program.

Current Astronaut Col. Greg Johnson and former astronauts retired Navy Capt. Jon McBride and retired Marine Col. Bob Springer shared information about their flights into space with Airmen and their families gathered at the base's theater. 

Air Force personnel at Patrick AFB who are part of Human Space Flight Support helped celebrating 50 years of Department of Defense support of manned space flight. From the dry test beds at Edwards AFB, Calif., in the 1940s to the launch pads at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida today, Department of Defense officials have supported NASA in both research and development of spacecraft and in real-world missions. 

The Human Space Flight Support Office, or Det. 3 of the 45th Operations Group here hosted a 50th anniversary celebrating the organization's support to NASA. Detachment 3 members had a key role for five decades of human space flight. Festivities included a reunion dinner, a Kennedy Space Center Tour, an astronaut panel discussion, and a golf tournament. The celebration drew the three shuttle astronauts and former workers who were part of the early support team decades ago. 

Detachment 3 is the only full time staff that coordinates and trains personnel worldwide at 35 locations to support space shuttle contingencies. This includes military and civilian hospital personnel, firefighters and airfield managers. As NASA moves toward retirement of the space shuttle, the detachment is again at the grass roots of the Constellation program testing and validating water recovery procedures of the Orion capsule. 

"We salute the Air Force and everything they do to support us," Captain McBride said. "And I hope we can work together for the next 50 years." 

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