Page 24 - MidWeek - August 11 2021

Valley Isle Guardians Help Protect The Nation’s Interests In Space
Force families that were out there. I got to talk to them, and they really liked it,” Lee reminisces.
Meanwhile, Crouch, also 28, plays a pivotal role as the Maui High Performance Computing Center program manager.
AUGUST 11, 2021 MIDWEEK 24
FROM PAGE 17
After returning the U.S., a motivated Lee decided to become a member of the Air Force.
Crouch attended Iowa State University, where she participated in the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in aero- space engineering. The AFROTC paid for her col- lege tuition and she commis- sioned into the Air Force as an officer. Next, she attend- ed the Air Force Institute of Technology and earned a master’s degree in aerospace engineering. She started off working in the field of ac- quisitions before she got the opportunity to transfer to the Space Force.
“I was studying electrical engineering at the time. I joined the program and be- came an active duty member while I finished my school- ing, and commissioned as an officer when I finished,” Lee shares.
Lee’s first assignment took place in Ohio at Wright-Pat- terson Air Force Base, where he served at the National Air and Space Intelligence Cen- ter.
“That was my first experi- ence where I learned quite a bit about space and I found that I had a pretty significant interest in it,” Lee explains.
“I felt like I could make the greatest contribution to our national defense through the Space Force, because that’s where my technical knowl- edge was mostly accumulat- ed in,” Crouch explains.
(Above) Lt. Col. John Zingarelli, commander of Detachment 15, commissions (from left) Capts. Cody Felipe, Tara Crouch, Christopher Coury, Zachary Funke, Samuel Crouch and Braden Smith during a U.S. Space Force swearing-in ceremony Feb. 1 at the summit of Haleakalā.
U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTO, COURTESY JOSHUA JOHNSON
(Right) Capt. Cody Felipe and 1st Lt. Justin Lee converse at the Maui Space Surveillance System.
Next, he went to the Air Force Institute of Technol- ogy, a graduate school also located on the grounds of Wright-Patterson. He earned a degree in electro-optics, with a focus on telescope imaging and processing.
“Space has grown into its own service and is more important in the political do- main,” she adds.
to collect images and data. Meanwhile, the second com- ponent is the Maui High Performance Computing Center.
ditions for their telescopes. In addition, of the five U.S. Department of Defense su- percomputing sites, the one on Maui is the only one west of Mississippi. Crouch adds that the 3.6-meter, 75-ton telescope is also the largest
“At that point, once there was an option to transfer over to the Space Force, I was re- ally excited to do that. To see that there was this new service that was dedicated completely to space — it just made perfect sense to join it. At that point, I was guaran- teed to be able to work in space-related fields from then on,” Lee emphasizes.
Crouch and her husband, Capt. Samuel Crouch, met at Iowa State University, where he also studied aerospace engineering. Both of them transferred over together to the U.S. Space Force during a swearing-in ceremony held Feb. 1 at the summit of Hale- akalā, where the site’s tele- scope operations take place.
While Crouch is employed at the supercomputing site, her husband works at the Maui surveillance telescope.
within the DoD.
Crouch also notes that
“Our mission hasn’t re- ally changed at all since we separated into our own service from the Air Force, but it adds the flexibility to grow and adapt as the threats change,” he notes.
The Space Force mission on Maui is two-fold — the telescope at Haleakalā and the High Performance Com- puting Center, Crouch elab- orates. The Guardians also explain that Haleakalā has one of the best viewing con-
“The University of Ha- wai‘i has core research ar-
For Felipe, members of the Space Force have a responsi- bility to continue to educate the public about who they are.
“It gives them a better perspective of what we do here and the type of mission that we offer.”
Crouch notes that the Maui site consists of two facilities that conduct op- erations, research and de- velopment. The first is the Maui Space Surveillance System, which uses tele- scopes, optics and sensors
“We won the jackpot. It’s amazing here being with my husband ... we’re in the same unit together, but not day- in-and-day-out together,” Crouch says.
the Maui High Performance Computing Center works with University of Hawai‘i to operate the center, adding that it has been a longstand- ing relationship for decades. This includes a four-year, $75 million contract signed last year between UH and the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory.
eas that the Department of Defense has determined to be strategically important,” according to Crouch. “They provide so much good re- search for us and it’s really a great way to connect our site to the community here in Maui and to Hawai‘i at large.”
“A lot of people don’t re- ally understand that yet, but I think it’s our duty to do that and I think we will also be good role models for the kids who are interested in space-related things, keeping them engaged through a lot of the STEM outreach that we have,” he emphasizes.