By Michael Tolzmann

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – It was 50 years ago this year when rocket scientists and airmen gathered here at this rugged, coastal base with nothing more than chalkboard theory and test fired a missile capable of dropping a nuclear bomb on an enemy located thousands of miles away. The successful test put the Soviets on notice and spawned an Air Force space program.

Air Force Capt. Cory Lambert, son of William and Linda Lambert, Colonial Circle, LaPlace, is a member of a now modern space program here and stands in the tradition of those who developed this science a half-century ago. Launching rockets equipped with high-tech satellites into outer space or launching nearly pin-point accurate intercontinental ballistic test missiles thousands of miles away into the South Pacific are routine practices here for the airmen affiliated with the 30th Space Wing and for Lambert.

Lambert contributes to Vandenberg’s space missions as an intercontinental ballistic missile instructor assigned to the 392nd Training Squadron. “As an ICBM instructor, I teach initial qualification training to young officers. This includes training on weapon systems and emergency war orders,” said Lambert, a 1989 graduate of East St. John High School in Reserve. He went on to earn a degree in aeronautical science through Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Fla.

“Upon completion of the course the graduates will perform nuclear alert duty at one of the ICBM bases,” said Lambert. “Alert duty is a two-person job in which the crew goes approximately 80 feet underground for 24-hour shifts,” explained Lambert.

Airmen here like Lambert support space missions for the Department of Defense, along with cooperative support to private companies and other U.S. governmental agencies. As illustrated in March with the first successful West-coast launch of an Atlas V rocket, the biggest and most powerful rocket launched from Vandenberg, these airmen understand the importance of their space mission.

“The nuclear alert duties performed by graduates of the courses I teach provide the deterrence that allows our sister services to take the fight to the enemy elsewhere,” said Lambert. “ICBMs are the quickest and fastest response the president has if an adversary was to strike first with weapons of mass destruction against the U.S., or an ally,” explained Lambert.

Being a part of space missions that hold international interest can be exhilarating for even the most salty of scientists or airmen. Lambert admits the space program here will leave a

lasting impression on him.

“The job I do is important because there is no room for error when dealing with nuclear weapons. Good instruction and training is vital to ensure proper handling and execution of the weapons is done only when the president directs it,” said Lambert.

Lambert is a 12-year Air Force veteran who has served in such places as Hurlburt Field, Fla., Schriever Air Force Base, Colo., and F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyo. The fruits of his labor will continue to assist vital American space developments, both on the ground and in outer space, holding true to the traditions first developed here 50 years ago with chalkboard science.