On December 20, 2019, the US Space Force was created, creating the first new branch of the US Armed Forces in 73 years.
The need for a separate space-oriented service branch was driven by the rapidly evolving space domain, and the increasing threat posed by near-peer competitors in space.
Over the past 60 years, US space capabilities have become an essential part of modern life for all Americans, from GPS to satellite communications.
Space enables the U.S. military to be faster, better connected, more informed, accurate, and lethal because of its investment in strengthening its presence in space.
Operations in space have their origins in the military space programs of the US Air Force, Army, and Navy that were established during the beginning of the Cold War. Since the 1950s, the Department of Defense has focused on developing space capabilities to support national military objectives, such as surveillance, reconnaissance, communications, and navigation, while simultaneously supporting human spaceflight programs under NASA.
However, by the mid-1970s, the Air Force managed most space systems, but many of them were fragmented under multiple commands.
To unify these space systems, the Air Force established its own Special Operations Command to oversee space operations on September 1, 1982. A few years later, this command was designated Air Force Space Command.
As our nation's space capabilities increased, its value was proven during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in the early 1990s, which many called “the First Space War.”
Desert Storm was the first time space capabilities were utilized to their fullest extent in support of an air and ground campaign. Over the next few decades, space came to play an increasing role in supporting military operations, humanitarian aid, and relief efforts.
While the United States worked to develop its space project, so did the capabilities of China and Russia in this field, which created congestion in the once benign area of operations. While the idea of creating a separate Space Force has been debated for decades, it was only in 2018 that the highest levels of government began calling for the creation of a separate force.
In its first year, under the leadership of Chief of Space Operations Gen. John W. “Jay” Raymond and Chief Master Sgt. From Space Force Roger Toberman, the service has set its sights on building its headquarters and implementing its new organizational structure for field, delta, and squadron commands.
In 2020 and 2021, the service unveiled its cultural elements, such as the seal, flag, uniform and unique enlisted rank insignia. The first field command, Space Operations Command, was established on October 21, 2020, followed by Space Systems Command and Space Training and Readiness Command in August 2021.
Since its first change of responsibility, with Gen. Chance Saltzman appointed as the new Director of Civil Society, the Space Force has continued to grow, activating its first new field command, US Space Forces Indo-Pacific. This achievement was quickly followed by Space Forces Korea, Space Forces Central, Space Forces Europe and Africa, and Space Forces Space. These component orders enable joint space operations for each geographic combat command to which they are assigned.
Additional Space Force milestones include adopting the branch's motto, “Semper Supra,” a Latin phrase meaning “always on top,” and establishing the Guardian Values: Character, Commitment, Connection, and Courage. In 2022, the Space Force revealed its official theme song. The song was created to capture the spirit of togetherness of both current and future Guardians, with the goal of bringing service members together by giving them a sense of pride.
Nearly five years after its creation, the Space Force and its Guard continue to uphold its mission of “securing our nation’s interests in, from and to space.” While the first few years as an entirely new service were spent “building” and “operating” the service, the Space Force now provides unparalleled space capabilities to the United States.
