SMC kicks off 'Mission of the Month'

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  • By Space and Missile Systems Center
  • Public Affairs
The Space and Missile Systems Center, with the support of SMC's Public Affairs office, is putting together a "Mission of the Month" initiative where SMC will highlight and showcase one of its directorates for an entire month through a multimedia effort.

SMC Mission of the Month will highlight not only the mission, but also the people by utilizing articles for the Los Angeles Air Force Base website, social media, such as factoids for Twitter and photos for "Throwback Thursday" segments on Facebook, and short 30-120 second video vignettes that will be placed on YouTube and other websites.

"The stories SMC is interested in telling are the stories everyone knows, such as launch, but also the unsung part of each mission that is interesting, lesser known, but equally important," said Lt. General Samuel Greave, SMC commander and Air Force program executive officer for space. "We're also interested in people stories, for example, people who have interesting hobbies, a unique story, innovative ideas that have been recognized, those who have a long association with SMC or connection to our space pioneers."

The first to be profiled in February for SMC Mission of the Month is the Global Positioning Systems Directorate, or SMC/GP, led by Col. Steve Whitney and his "Green Monsters," the unofficial mascot of SMC/GP.

SMC Mission of the Month is planning to be a multimedia campaign to connect the base population to each directorate by publicizing the directorate through articles, photos, videos and factoids on the base website, social media sites and base televisions.

Upcoming activities planned during the month include:

Monday Movie Madness: Each Monday a SMC/PA Multimedia video will be released about GPS and/or the GP Directorate. The videos can be seen on base televisions, the SMC YouTube page and linked on social media sites. GP videos include:
Feb. 1: Integrated Crew Exercise (ICE), a preview of upcoming GPS IIF-12 mission, the last of the IIF series of GPS satellites
Feb. 8: GPS Modernization
Feb. 15: GPS II F-12 launch mission highlights
Feb. 22: Civil uses of GPS

Tuesday Timeline: A social media campaign on important dates, facts, milestones, anniversaries, etc.

Wednesday Warrior of the Week: Highlights one person or team per week.

Throwback Thursday: Photos, milestones, anniversaries, etc. for social media.

Friday Features: GP articles and trivia questions posted on the Los Angeles AFB's Facebook page on Friday, with answers provided the following Monday. Planned articles to be posted on the Los Angeles AFB website and linked on Facebook and Twitter include:

Feb. 5: GPS use by the NFL - just in time for Super Bowl 50 that connects the SMC/GP mission to this very popular and anticipated game
Feb. 12: Guest article by Col. Whitney on the state of the GPS constellation and the future that lies ahead with the new GPS III series of satellites
Feb. 19: An article on the GPS ground network
Feb. 26: An article on the evolution of military uses of GPS from Desert Storm to the present

SMC Mission of the Month is the result of a conversation with Chief Master Sgt. Craig Hall, SMC command chief and Maj. Mary Danner-Jones, chief of public affairs for SMC.

"The secretary of the Air Force has implemented an Air Force-level effort to highlight the 25th anniversary of Desert Storm through the end of February. As that operation is noted as the first space war and GPS was a significant contributor, there was a 'lightbulb moment' where you go, 'Ah-ha!' this would be a perfect fit," explained Danner-Jones.

"Of course, the upcoming launch of GPS IIF-12, now scheduled for Feb. 5 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida is a natural part of that. However, we are also interested in other areas of SMC/GP - and all the other Directorates within SMC -- that the base populace or general public may not know about."