“There's a lot of things we offer on the base that people don't really know about. But now because of govDelivery we can reach them.”
Wyatt Smalling
Marketing Director, SLD 30 Force Support Squadron
OVERVIEW
Vandenberg Space Force Base houses more than 4,000 service members but many were unaware of the many community-building events available to them. In an effort to reach service members, their families, and the surrounding community, the base’s public affairs office leveraged govDelivery to promote social opportunities to improve morale.
SITUATION
Bringing a base together
Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara, California, holds more than 20 launches a year. The former Air Force base oversees everything from satellite deployment to SpaceX take-offs to missile launches.
While Vandenberg gets attention for its amazing and unique mission, it becomes easy to forget that the base is home to nearly 4,000 service members and their families, along with serving as a hub for the surrounding community.
That’s where Wyatt Smalling, the base’s marketing director, plays a crucial role. His job is to promote programs, events, and opportunities at the base that improve morale, promote readiness, and bring the members of this unique community together.
“When I was in the Army, I largely interacted with my platoon or company,” Smalling recalled. “I knew some of my neighbors, but that was it. I never heard about things happening at the base, but I wish I did.”
The issue was not the number of events taking place. Vandenberg offered its community a wealth of social opportunities — everything from a library and a gym to an annual car show to fantasy football — but the public affairs newsletter would only get sent to those with a .mil email address. Veterans, spouses, family members, and the surrounding town were left in the dark.
“No one is happy when no one shows up to their program.”
SOLUTION
Turning toward govDelivery
To reach those on base as well as the veterans and community members just outside its gates, Smalling turned toward govDelivery for both email and texting support.
Initially focused on building its subscriber list, the base set ambitious goals to reach key audiences, including on-base personnel, off-base veterans, and their families. The team’s efforts to increase subscriptions through diverse campaigns have boosted awareness of events, programs, and resources.
One of the key strategies Vandenberg employed was partnering with the public affairs office.
This collaboration allowed the team to push launch alerts and emergency updates alongside morale-focused event promotions, creating a seamless communication strategy. Public affairs managed mission-specific updates, while Vandenberg’s marketing office concentrated on recreational and community-oriented content.
This dual effort resulted in a substantial rise in subscriber numbers, with some events like trivia nights and game nights experiencing attendance jumps from 15 to 50 participants. Larger events soared as well. Its annual Comic Con attracted more than 1,500 attendees.
“When you have these events, they help bring our community together and get people to know others who they may not normally interact with.”
The base utilized features like drip campaigns and QR codes embedded in their print and digital materials to ensure continued growth, driving traffic to their govDelivery sign-ups. This multi-channel approach streamlined outreach efforts and amplified their audience reach. The team ensured cohesive messaging across platforms by focusing on internal newsletters, social media milestones, and a quarterly magazine, further enhancing engagement.
RESULTS
A base in synchronous orbit
The impact of this enhanced engagement has been profound. Events now bring together airmen, guardians, their families, and foreign nationals, fostering a stronger sense of community. For many, these activities provide a safe and controlled environment to unwind, reducing the need to seek entertainment off-base. Additionally, increased interaction between units through shared events has boosted morale and camaraderie, creating a more connected and vibrant base culture.
Vandenberg’s innovative use of govDelivery has not gone unnoticed. The team earned recognition with the Eubanks Award, a military-specific honor that recognizes support squadrons demonstrating outstanding professionalism, commitment to customer service, and an ability to innovate and perform beyond typical expectations.
By integrating govDelivery into its outreach strategy, Vandenberg Space Base has expanded its reach and set a benchmark for other bases to follow in improving community connection and morale.
Smalling says the team’s next goal is 100% market penetration, ambitious for sure but one that feels in reach when your primary job is to shoot for the stars.
