My guess would be pick up. They expedited the outbound leg. I mean that is a DIRECT flight. They're not even using the Jet Routes for instrument flying which is required above 18k feet. A direct route means ATC gave them clearance to go direct. No need to bother with direct to this NAVAID, then transition to this one, and so on. Plug in the GPS coordinates for CSprings and go. The other reason is they're flying fast on the way back but not as fast. Either headwinds (likely) or passengers and/ or cargo. Probably refueled as well. So they're a little heavier coming back.
Everybody getting on board a military aircraft as a passenger there goes through Base Ops. It's like a terminal but for military.
HQ Air Force Space Command but also HQ US Northern Command. The first one is an Air Force Major Command that deals with, you guessed it, Space missions. Satellite launch, etc.
USNORTHCOM is a geographic Combatant Command responsible for the defense of North America. It also has NORAD as part of that Command structure which used to be located in Cheyenne Mountain.
I've been to both HQs a few times in years past. There's probably some other organizations on base as well. It's a small base though. There are other bases nearby that do similar missions under each of these commands. Couldn't tell much about those. My guess would be someone was transported to the base and picked up. From where? I have no idea. Who? No idea either.
STRATCOM was never at Peterson AFB. They've always been at Offutt AFB in Nebraska.
Yep. Agreed. We've probably been involved in similar stuff anon. o7