Buckley celebrates Public Service Recognition Week

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Gabrielle Spradling
  • 460th Space Wing Public Affairs
BUCKLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. --  Public recognition is often given to military bases for their contributions to defense around the world. But not all people who are part of the military base team wear a uniform.  In fact, many government civilian employees who have prior military service now devote their civilian careers to the base mission, while others have never donned a military uniform, but all of them are critical to the success of the base's missions.

Public Service Recognition Week , observed nationally from May 1 to 7, honors those who don't wear a military uniform, but make an impact just the same.  PSRW, organized by Public Employees Roundtable, has been celebrated during the first week of May since 1985.

The civilian government employees on base work closely with uniformed members and their contributions do not go unnoticed.  Buckley AFB leadership along with mayors, governors, agency leaders, communities and public service organizations nationwide participate in PSRW annually to honor the civilians who serve around the world in various roles. 

"Our civilian work force is absolutely critical to our mission here in the 460th Space Wing and at Buckley AFB as a whole, because of the diversity of the different mission areas," said Col. Scott Romberger, 460th Space Wing vice commander.

"This week is our opportunity to say thank you, and that we do recognize what the wing's civilian workforce brings to the table," said Rob Myhre, 460th Space Wing director of staff. "The expertise civilians provide along with the continuity they bring to our mission is vitally important to our continued success."

Civilian Airmen work as part of the Total Force team that allows the Air Force to deliver airpower now and into the future. 

"Working side-by-side with civilian counterparts is critical, as they provide the bedrock of continuity and a knowledge base which is key to mission success," said Romberger.

The goal of PSRW is to foster esprit de corps and recognize all of the contributions and knowledge that civilian government employees bring to our nation's defense and their local communities.

"Without civilians, commanders would find themselves periodically reinventing the wheel, since we would lose the core knowledge , best practices, the processes that have worked well in the past as well as those that haven't," said Myhre.
Increasing awareness of that all civilian Airmen counterparts do for the Air Force provides military members with a glimpse into the challenges that civilians face.

"As far as public service week, there's a lot of folks on this base that have some very challenging jobs' such as our Department of the Air Force civilian police officers, the fire department, as well as a large portion of the civil engineer squadron," said Myhre. "They bring the expertise to not only augment but also provide key skill sets that the military doesn't bring. Our civilian workforce provides a key component to stitch that fabric together to make it all work."

These selfless individuals tackle great challenges facing our country. Whether they are leading or supporting Airmen through missions, these unsung heroes make vital contributions to the country by aiding the military with national defense.

"In addition to day-to-day interaction, PSRW is a another great opportunity to recognize our civilian's contributions to mission and ultimately national defense, as well as letting our civilians know we care about them--they deserve to hear it," said Romberger.

 

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