Vandenberg‘s New Squadron Commander Formally Appointed At The Boathouse
LOMPOC, Calif. (KEYT) - An old squadron is back in action with a new commander at Vandenberg Space Force Base.
Lieutenant Colonel Kyle Rowland is now leading the re-activated “4Th Space Launch Squadron.”
“Today is about much more than just activating a new unit,” says Col. James T. Horne III, Vandenberg Space Force Base’s Commander. “It's really a recognition of what's about to happen and the need to have a singularly focused unit that can really push forward.”
The squadron was started in 1994 for launching Titan IV rockets along with other missions involving Delta IV and Atlas V rockets.
The 4th stopped that work in 2018.
“I think it started with Congress and our administration a few years ago, dedicating the first infusion of investment into modernizing our infrastructure,” says Col. Horne.
It’s back now as Vandenberg moves further into the space age with launch partners like Space-X.
“We use the capabilities that are being launched from here every day, both from a department of war as well as from picking up your phone and knowing where you're going when you're on the way to work, right?” says newly appointed 4th SLS commander Lt. Col. Kyle Rowland. “So those things we need to increase and continue to move forward.”
At what they call the Boathouse—formerly the Coast Guard Rescue Station—Colonel Horne reactivated the Fourth Space Launch Squadron and passed the flag, formally appointing Colonel Rowland commander.
“I get to step into this position with an unbelievable team that is hungry to ensure that we are providing the things needed to support the mission,” says Col. Rowland.
That new mission for the squadron is overseeing the future of the base as a spaceport.
That means infrastructure improvements at the base and regional investments.
Colonel Rowland sees his newly re-formed squadron with an important mission for the base, the community, and the country.
“I don't want to be Vandenberg on an island,” says Col. Rowland. “I want to be Vandenberg a part of the community that people get excited when they see a launch, or they see somebody in uniform in town.”
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