After about 40 years of standing ready to provide missile warning in the event of a war, the one-of-a-kind Mobile Ground System based in Greeley was recently retired.
“We employed it to the outer limits of its capabilities,” Col. Stephanie Figueroa, commander of the 233rd Space Group, said in a news release. “We had proven time and time again the mobility of that weapon system. We knew our role, and we were exceptional at it.”
Figueroa oversaw the 137th Space Warning Squadron, the unit charged with operating the Mobile Ground System as part of her work leading the 233rd Space Group, which employs about 400 people.
The 137th Space Warning Squadron had been expected to turn over the Mobile Ground System to the Space Force in October, under a law passed last year. It was one of several units nationally slated to give its mission to the active duty military branch.
But the retirement of the system is not expected to leave a gap.
The Space Force's Delta 4, focused on missile warning and missile tracking has the same mission as the Mobile Ground System, a U.S. Space Force spokesperson said in an emailed statement. The delta operates three constellations of overhead persistent infrared satellites and two types of ground-based radars.
" The United States is not left with a capability gap associated with the retirement of the (Mobile Ground System.) For operational security, we cannot comment on specific capabilities in this mission area,” the emailed statement said.
The Trump administration is focused on updating the national missile warning system to keep up with new threats and has already dedicated $25 billion to the effort.
The recently retired Mobile Ground System was first established during the Cold War in 1986 to provide survivable missile warning and attack assessment data to the North American Aerospace Defense Command, according to the National Guard.
“What the MGS really provides is not only missile warning data, but also battle space awareness,” said Chief Master Sgt. Harry Smith, senior enlisted leader, 137th Space Warning Squadron in the news release. “All the data fuses together to give nuclear war fighters and submariners a clear picture of the battle space so they don’t have to fight that engagement blind.”
The 137th Space Warning Squadron received support from several units, including one that maintained their communications, one dedicated to protecting them and one that provided logistical support.
As the National Guard turns over space missions to the active-duty Space Guard, positions are expected to be made available for those who remain in the Air National Guard, a Department of the Air Force spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
"This transition will not result in a loss of billets, and state Air National Guard end strength will remain intact," the statement said.
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