Exploring the United States Space Force: America's Newest Military Branch

The United States Space Force (USSF) is the newest branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, established on December 20, 2019, under the administration of President Donald Trump. As the first new military service since the creation of the U.S. Air Force in 1947, the Space Force is tasked with protecting U.S. interests in space and conducting space operations.

History:

The establishment of the U.S. Space Force marked a significant milestone in the nation's military history. However, the Department of Defense's interest and involvement in space significantly predates the creation of this new branch.

As early as 1945, a report produced for the U.S. Air Force, entitled "Toward New Horizons," highlighted the important role the U.S. military was to play in space-related research and development, focusing on jet propulsion, rockets, and satellites. This report laid the groundwork for the military's involvement in space exploration and defense.

During the Cold War, the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union was partly a contest to achieve preeminence in space, both for civilian purposes and military dominance. This period saw the development of numerous space-related military capabilities and the establishment of various space commands within the different branches of the U.S. military, such as the Air Force Space Command (1982), Naval Space Command (1985), and U.S. Army Space Agency (later renamed U.S. Space Command in 1988).

Despite these efforts, the U.S. military's space-related activities lacked cohesion before the establishment of the Space Force, with various space commands distributed across different branches, leading to overlapping responsibilities and potential inefficiencies. During the 2010s, several proposals were made to create a more focused space military organization, with names such as Space Guard, Space Corps, and Space Force being suggested.

In February 2019, President Donald Trump directed the Pentagon to establish the U.S. Space Force as the sixth branch of the U.S. military, driven by the increasing importance of space in modern warfare and the growing threats posed by potential adversaries in this domain. The Space Force was officially established on December 20, 2019, when the National Defense Authorization Act was signed into law with bipartisan support, creating the first new branch of the armed services in 73 years.

The bipartisan support for the creation of the U.S. Space Force underscores the critical importance of space in national security and the shared commitment of both Democrats and Republicans to protect American interests in this domain. This political consensus provides a strong foundation for the Space Force to grow and adapt to the evolving challenges in space, ensuring that the United States remains at the forefront of space exploration, innovation, and defense.

Mission: 

On September 6, 2023, the U.S. Space Force announced its new mission statement: "Secure our Nation's interests in, from, and to space." This statement was developed through a Guardian-driven process, reflecting the vital functions Guardians perform in service to the United States.

Each portion of the mission statement represents a key aspect of the Space Force's purpose:

- "Secure" refers to the Space Force's formative purpose to contest, and when directed, control the space domain on behalf of the nation and joint force.

- "Our Nation's interests" represents Guardians' focus on protecting the security and prosperity the U.S. derives from space, and serves as a reminder that space activities are essential to the American way of life.

- "In, from, and to space" references the three core functions of the Space Force:

  - In space: Securing the Nation's interests through space superiority activities that protect the joint force and nation from space and counterspace threats.

  - From space: Delivering global mission operations like satellite communications, positioning, navigation and timing, and missile warning activities.

  - To space: Ensuring assured space access through the service's launch, range, and control network infrastructure.

Organizational Structure:

The USSF has a four-tiered organizational structure consisting of USSF Headquarters (at the Pentagon with the other services), Field Commands (FIELDCOMs), Space Deltas (DELs), and Squadrons. The three intermediate-level FIELDCOMs are:

1. Space Operations Command (SpOC)

2. Space Systems Command (SSC)

3. Space Training and Readiness Command (STARCOM)

Space Systems Command (SSC):

SSC is the U.S. Space Force field command responsible for acquiring and delivering resilient warfighting capabilities to protect our nation's strategic advantage in, from, and to space. It manages a $15.6 billion space acquisition budget for the Department of Defense and works in partnership with joint forces, industry, government agencies, academic and allied organizations to accelerate innovation and outpace emerging threats.

Space Training and Readiness Command (STARCOM):

STARCOM was activated as the Space Force's third field command on August 23, 2021. Its mission is to prepare combat-ready USSF forces to fight and win in a contested, degraded, and operationally-limited environment through the deliberate development, education and training of space professionals; development of space warfighting doctrine, tactics, techniques, and procedures; and the test and evaluation of USSF capabilities.

Space Operations Command (SpOC):

SpOC is responsible for generating, presenting, and sustaining combat-ready intelligence, cyber, space, and combat support forces to Combatant Commands. Its mission is to protect America and our allies in, from, and to space, now and into the future.

Lines of Effort:

The U.S. Space Force's lines of effort enable the service to provide the forces, personnel, and partnerships required to preserve U.S. space superiority:

1. LOE 1 - Field Combat-Ready Forces

2. LOE 2 - Amplify the Guardian Spirit

3. LOE 3 - Partner to Win

Interesting facts about the U.S. Space Force:

1. The Space Force is the smallest U.S. military branch, with approximately 14,000 military and civilian personnel as of FY23.

2. The official motto of the Space Force is "Semper Supra," which means "Always Above" in Latin, emphasizing the branch's focus on space operations.

3. The Space Force operates various spacecraft, including GPS satellites, military communication satellites, and the mysterious X-37B space plane, which has conducted several classified missions in Earth's orbit.

4. The Space Force has a unique rank structure, with ranks such as "Specialist," "Sergeant," "Technical Sergeant," and "Chief Master Sergeant," which differ from the other U.S. military branches.

5. The Space Force is headquartered at the Pentagon and has major operations in California (Los Angeles Air Force Base and Vandenberg Space Force Base), Colorado (Buckley Space Force Base, Peterson Space Force Base, and Schriever Space Force Base), and Florida (Patrick Space Force Base).

6. All Space Force personnel, whether civilian or military, are called "Guardians."

As space becomes increasingly important for military operations, communication, and defense, the U.S. Space Force is expected to play a crucial role in protecting American interests and assets in the final frontier. With ongoing investment and development, the Space Force aims to maintain U.S. dominance in space and counter potential threats from rival nations.