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    Team Schriever holds first-ever CCAF graduation

    Team Schriever holds first-ever CCAF graduation

    Photo By Staff Sgt. Arielle Vasquez | Airmen and their families attend a Community College of the Air Force and higher...... read more read more

    COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, UNITED STATES

    05.09.2018

    Story by Senior Airman Arielle Vasquez 

    50th Space Wing Public Affairs

    The Schriever Air Force Base Chiefs Group, Diamond Council and Top 3 hosted a Community College of the Air Force and higher education graduation ceremony at Schriever AFB, Colorado, May 3.

    The CCAF was established in 1972 in order to gain academic recognition for the technical training conducted by Air Force schools. Over the years, the college has grown both in number and recognition. With more than 370,000 registered students, the college is the largest multi-campus community college in the world.

    Col. Jennifer Grant, commander of the 50th Space Wing, presided over the ceremony; where more than 150 people were in attendance.

    This ceremony marked the first time Schriever AFB has held a CCAF graduation ceremony of its own. In the past, all Team Schriever graduates attended CCAF ceremonies at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado.

    “This ceremony is unique because Team Schriever came together to recognize our own folks for the first time,” said Master Sgt. Chad Peterson, first sergeant with the 50th Network Operations Group. “This not only included the 50th Space Wing, but our reservists and tenant units as well.”

    According to the Schriever AFB Diamond Council and Top 3, keeping the event at Schriever AFB not only reduces logistical coordination with the 21st Space Wing, but further establishes Schriever AFB’s identity within Air Force Space Command.

    “The planning for this started in January,” Peterson said. “The Peterson AFB Education Office gave us many tools to work with, but the majority of the process involved brainstorming new ideas since this was held in a different location. We wanted to make sure we kicked this off right and can continue to do this beyond this ceremony.”

    Staff Sgt. Krisella Mariano Aguirre, system support technician with the 4th Space Operations Squadron, expressed what it meant to her to be a part of the first Team Schriever CCAF graduation.

    “I officially earned my CCAF in January 2018,” she said. “The ceremony was the first one I ever attended and my favorite part was listening to 1st Lt. Adams’ speech. His journey through education has changed his life for the better and it was motivating to hear about it.

    “During the ceremony, I felt very proud of myself,” she continued. “All those long nights of doing homework and stressing out about deadlines paid off today. I would tell Airmen who want to earn their CCAF that getting your degree shouldn’t be a race and to remember to take it one day at a time.”

    Master Sgt. Nicholas Banks, mission assurance superintendent with the 1st Space Operations Squadron, reflected on the significance of Airmen earning CCAF degrees and having the opportunity to celebrate it among their families and peers.

    “You only get this chance once in your career,” he said. “We want graduates to look back and be glad they were a part of this and continue to encourage others who follow in their footsteps. The base and mission is continuing to grow and we hope we can look back at this ceremony years from now and see how successful it has been.”

    In the future, the councils plan to hold CCAF graduation ceremonies every May and October.

    This year's Team Schriever graduates are:

    1st Range Operations Squadron:
    Staff Sgt. Gerald Matugas, Air and Space Operations Technology

    1st Space Operations Squadron:
    Staff Sgt. Davis Khalil, Air and Space Operations Technology
    Staff Sgt. Diana Grabowski, Information Systems Technology
    Staff Sgt. Daniel Nutter, Air and Space Operations Technology
    Staff Sgt. Christopher West, Intelligence Studies and Technology

    19th Space Operations Squadron:
    Staff Sgt. Forrest Colegrove, Air and Space Operations Technology
    Senior Airman John De Castro, Air and Space Operations Technology
    Tech. Sgt. Anne Marie Scherer, Air and Space Operations Technology

    2nd Space Operations Squadron:
    Staff Sgt. Joseph Wood, Air and Space Operations Technology

    21st Medical and Dental Squadron:
    Tech. Sgt. Jason Ware, Dental Assisting

    22nd Space Operations Squadron:
    Tech. Sgt. Christopher Vastine, Air and Space Operations Technology

    25th Space Range Squadron:
    Staff Sgt. Jacob Myers, Information Systems Technology

    310th Operations Group:
    Master Sgt. John Halter, Air and Space Operations Technology

    310th Operations Support Squadron:
    Staff Sgt. Arleen Deitchman, Intelligence Studies and Technology
    Tech. Sgt. Jeffrey Heredia, Air and Space Operations Technology

    310th Space Wing:
    Master Sgt. Aaron Hunt, Human Services

    380th Space Control Squadron:
    Staff Sgt. Christopher Calsadillo, Air and Space Operations Technology
    Tech. Sgt. Dustin Cronin, Electronic Systems Technology

    4th Space Operations Squadron:
    Senior Airman Dillon Frick, Air and Space Operations Technology
    Senior Airman Taylor Jolley, Air and Space Operations Technology
    Staff Sgt. Krisella Mariano, Air and Space Operations Technology
    Senior Airman Shianne Perkins, Electronic Systems Technology
    Senior Airman Angeira Plaza Martir, Air and Space Operations Technology
    Airman 1st Class James Ramsay, Air and Space Operations Technology

    50th Civil Engineer Squadron:
    Senior Airman Casimy Metayer, Mechanical and Electrical Technology

    50th Contracting Squadron:
    Master Sgt. Francisco Diaz, Contracts Management and Mechanical and Electrical Technology

    50th Operations Support Squadron:
    Staff Sgt. Robert Depoy, Air and Space Operations Technology
    Airman 1st Class Sydney Glover, Intelligence Studies and Technology
    Tech. Sgt. Patrick Painter, Air and Space Operations Technology
    Senior Airman Monique Pucci, Human Resource Management
    Master Sgt. Peter Uson, Human Services

    50th Space Communications Squadron:
    Staff Sgt. Matthew Clugston, Information Systems Technology
    Senior Airman Austin Gary, Information Systems Technology
    Tech. Sgt. Bradley Pike, Information Systems Technology and Air and Space Operations Technology

    50th Security Forces Squadron:
    Staff Sgt. Joshua Cowen, Criminal Justice
    Tech. Sgt. Steven McCoy, Criminal Justice

    527th Space Aggressor Squadron:
    Staff Sgt. Robert Inks, Air and Space Operations Technology

    6th Space Operations Squadron:
    Tech. Sgt. Kriesjo Quimzon, Air and Space Operations Technology
    Tech. Sgt. Kristopher Mitchell, Air and Space Operations Technology

    710th Security Forces Squadron:
    Tech. Sgt. Robert Vens, Criminal Justice

    8th Space Warning Squadron:
    Tech. Sgt. Richard Braun, Air and Space Operations Technology
    Staff Sgt. Sheena Curry, Human Resource Management
    Senior Airman Danielle Edwards, Intelligence Studies and Technology

    9th Space Operations Squadron:
    Senior Airman Cristian Ramirez, Construction Technology

    Air Force Technical Application Center:
    Staff Sgt. Jonathan Bahr, Scientific Analysis Technology
    Senior Airman Robert Bookland, Scientific Analysis Technology

    Joint Functional Component Command:
    Staff Sgt. Jacob Hoppe, Air and Space Operations Technology

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 05.09.2018
    Date Posted: 05.09.2018 11:37
    Story ID: 276320
    Location: COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, US

    Web Views: 42
    Downloads: 0

    PUBLIC DOMAIN