BUCKLEY SPACE FORCE BASE, Colo. -- On Women's Equality Day, we celebrate the achievements and contributions of women in society, including those in the defense sector. Among these women is Elizabeth Bernadette VanBuskirk, who has spent 40 years serving the nation as, the chief of the programming and analysis section at the 6th Space Warning Squadron, Cape Cod Space Force Station, in Sagamore, Massachusetts.
Ms. VanBuskirk's journey began in junior high school in the early 70s when she took a summer school course in computing, which sparked her interest in the field. She worked with what was then "state-of-the-art" computers. "Keep in mind," Ms. VanBuskirk reflects, "that a state-of-the-art computer filled up half a room at the time and had less power and capacity than your Apple watch.”
She pursued her passion for computing throughout college and eventually worked in business computing in the private sector. However, when she saw President Reagan's State of the Union address, she felt inspired to use her skills to defend the nation. "Before I got the job offer," Ms. VanBuskirk said, "I saw President Reagan's State of the Union address, and his inspirational words about what was being done for our nation's defense made me want to help defend our country. I was ready to go when the Phased Array Warning System folks called me and wanted me to start in two weeks; I was ready to go."
Ms. VanBuskirk was hired to work on a radar system that detects ballistic missiles. She has since dedicated her career to ensuring the radar's performance and advising her bosses on its technical details. Her work has significantly impacted Cape Cod and the local community, as she has helped prove that the radar is safe for the area and has participated in numerous tours to educate the surrounding community on their work.
While excelling at the job, it did come with its challenges. "My biggest challenge was actually starting out with the job," Ms. VanBuskirk said. "I knew nothing about radars or about working with the military. I was on a steep learning curve on both fronts. I overcame it by constantly asking questions and soaking up information."
She looked to those around her, learning from their experience to overcome this. "Fortunately, there were lots of people" Ms. VanBuskirk stated, "the analyst at Beale Air Force Base, our sister-site Phased Array Warning System the engineers and programmers that originally designed the system who would occasionally come down; our system programming agency; and many others who helped me over this hurdle."
When asked about her most memorable experience during her 40 years of service, Ms. VanBuskirk recalls, "The context is sad, but when the Columbia space shuttle burned up on re-entry, I worked with an analyst from Air Force Space Command and provided data from our radar system on uncorrelated targets which were determined to be pieces of the heat shield that had come off of the shuttle." She stated that the ability to dig into their data and provide information that had yet to be sent to the space command and control centers helped the analyst identify what those pieces were as he worked with a larger committee to determine the incident's root cause.
"What I find most rewarding," Ms. VanBuskirk says, "is knowing that I'm helping the radar to be the best that it can in defending our nation and the whole east coast and to meet the evolving challenges in the space environment today."
She attributes her motivation and inspiration to the importance of the mission, support of her co-workers, leadership, and faith and life as a religious sister. "Throw yourself into whatever you love to do." Ms. VanBuskirk advises, "Go after the things that are hard and challenging but attainable. Don't be afraid of the difficulty, but jump in, and you'll find you can do it."
As for her future aspirations, Elizabeth Bernadette VanBuskirk hopes to continue to prepare the radar for the challenges ahead, especially in space, and promote changes to make the radar and the crews more able to face a congested, threatening space environment. On Women's Equality Day, we celebrate the accomplishments of women like Ms. VanBuskirk, who have dedicated their lives to serving the nation and making a difference in their communities.