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Airmen Patrol Skies Above Canaveral

Airmen with the 117th Air Control Squadron mann the electronic systems that allowed them to watch the skies over Cape Canaveral, Fla., before and during the lauch of shuttle Columbia.When the space shuttle Columbia and its crew of seven headed into space in mid-January, 50 members of the 117th Air Control Squadron were electronically scanning the skies above Cape Canaveral, Fla., for unidentified aircraft venturing into restricted airspace.

This was the sixth shuttle launch for the Savannah-based airmen. Maj. Victor Long, who commands the group, said his radar crews are constantly monitoring the skies but the mission becomes more intense during the hours before liftoff.

Members of the 117th Air Control Squadron set up one of several radar systems that watched the skies during the launch of shuttle Columbia. The 117th’s assignment to watch over the sprawling Florida launch complex came about because of Sept. 11, 2001, said Lt. Col. Dick Austin, the unit’s commander. He explained that NASA and the Air Force Space Command realized how vulnerable the shuttle is to attack and decided to tighten security on the ground and in the air.

Austin said the 117th is the only Air Guard unit of its kind assigned to support shuttle launches.

Editors Note: This news brief was written shortly after Columbia’s Jan. 16 launch. As members of the shuttle launch team, the airmen of the 117th share a special relationship with the people who work with the U.S. Space Shuttle program. The 117th is deeply sorrowed by the recent loss of Columbia and its gallant crew.

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