211217-X-NH180-0059

Master Sgt. John Eckert, detachment chief for the 23rd Space Operations Squadron Detachment 1, briefs Lt. Gen. Stephen N. Whiting, Space Operations Command commander, and Chief Master Sgt. John Bentivegna, SpOC senior enlisted leader, during their visit to Thule Air Base, Greenland, Dec. 17, 2021. Gen. Whiting and the SpOC command team traveled to Thule to meet with Airmen and Guardians from the 821st Air Base Group, 23 SOPS, and the 12th Space Warning Squadron to gain a better understanding of their current challenges and successes as Department of Defense’s northernmost installation located 750 miles north of the Arctic Circle and only 947 miles south of the North Pole. Other areas discussed throughout the visit included initiatives to improve Thule’s Air Force Research Laboratory, Low-Earth Orbit, Starlink terminals, Communications Satellite upgrades, and support for U.S. Northern Command events in the Arctic. (U.S. Space Force photo by Master Sgt. Sara Keller)