Anonymous
Chief Master Sgt. John Bentivegna, 14th Air Force command chief, Maj. Gen. John Shaw, 14th Air Force commander, and Col. Anthony Mastalir, 30th Space Wing commander, clap as the National Defense Authorization is signed establishing the United States Space Force Dec. 20, 2019, at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. The mission of the U.S. Space Force is to protect the interests of the United States in space; deter aggression in, from and to space; and conduct space operations. The United States Space Force is an independent military service that will develop space forces in order to protect U.S. and allied interests in space and to provide space capabilities that enable our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines. U.S. Space Force responsibilities will include developing military space professionals, acquiring military space systems, maturing the military doctrine for space power, and organizing space forces to present to our Combatant Commands. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Hanah Abercrombie)
Source: Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB)
By order of Secretary of the Air Force Barbara M. Barrett, effective Dec. 20, 2019, Fourteenth Air Force was officially redesignated as Space Operations Command.
Air Force military and civilian personnel previously assigned to Fourteenth Air Force are now assigned to SPOC by virtue of the redesignation action.
The SPOC is directly supporting the U.S. Space Force’s mission to protect the interests of the United States in space; deter aggression in, from and to space; and conduct space operations.
On Dec. 20, 2019, U.S. President Donald Trump signed the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, officially establishing the USSF as the sixth branch of the U.S. armed forces.
In accordance with a redesignation memorandum for record signed by Barrett, Maj. Gen. John E. Shaw, former Commander, Fourteenth Air Force, was redesignated as Commander, Space Operations Command; in addition to Shaw’s role as U.S. Space Command’s Combined Force Space Component Commander.
The SPOC provides space capabilities such as Space Domain Awareness, space electronic warfare, satellite communications, missile warning, nuclear detonation detection, environmental monitoring, military Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance, navigation warfare, command and control, and Positioning, Navigation and Timing, on behalf of the USSF for USSPACECOM and other Combatant Commands.
“It is an honor and privilege to lead the U.S. Space Force’s Space Operations Command. Every day, all around the planet, people count on us to make a difference – to provide a space-enabled combat edge to the warfighters that keep our country, our Allies, and our partners safe. We will not let them down,” said Shaw.
Additional details about SPOC will be available in early 2020 – highlighting Space Operations Command’s critical roles and responsibilities in support of national security objectives.
*eye roll* We waste so much money on frivolous military expenditures. It’s pathetic how much other sectors (education, transportation…) suffer while we throw billions down the inefficient, wasteful military hole. Many times more than any other country. Space force? Give me a break.
So this could bring many new jobs to the central coast, Space Force is budgeted 15,000 jobs in the first five years.
This is great. I don’t need to go to far to sign up. Mama always said I’m a bit of a space cadet 🙂
MP805, lets go sign up together. I hope we get our own lightsaber
Looking forward to beating Han Solos 12 parsec Kessel run!
How is this not redundant? Because the USAF wasn’t already doing all of this? What will Space Force be doing that USAF couldn’t already do or be tasked with doing?
Beyond that, funny that Psycho-Donny okayed putting Space Force Command in California.
If you don’t think Russia or China will take a shot at our oversees interests the second our military starts to weken you’re in denial. We can’t just be better, we need to be WAY better.
Sam the Dog, I 100% agree, and being a military vet as well as most vets, we understand this threat to be real. And more sooner than later Russia and China and God knows who else will be in orbit over our heads. This is not science fiction anymore, this is fact.
2:05pm: *eye roll back to you* Your figures and perceptions about military spending are way off. You have some homework to do or else we will never dig our way out of the current budget hole, created primarily by runaway social and health entitlement, and not the military: Medicare. Medicaid and Social Security are the budget killers. So much education is now available for free just by searching the net, including learning about the relative US budget allocations between military, infrastructure and social program spending. Good to also look up how much this state spends on education before attacking federal spending on education too. 50% of the entire state general fund goes right off the top for K-14 education in this state – guaranteed by Prop 98.
This is a feather in hat for the City of Lompoc. Lompoc is an area that has the potential to be a really nice town. It’s a shame that a large portion of the City is covered in Section 8 housing with a significant percentage of the poulation on the dole- This could give the City some serious tax revenue to turn things around.
Lompoc has long been a retired military town, as well as an ag center. May have more conservative political sympathies in this area than you suspect, AlexBlue. Good call, President Trump. Lompoc Penetentary might well be the new home for some recent Wash DC deep state plotters as well, just like during the the Nixon years. Good to keep your horizons wider than the typical coastal bubble California mind set.
I agree that Lompoc is a nice looking town, but why are there so many shootings? At least you have to admit that SB has way less shootings than Lompoc and even Santa Maria. I think that 15,000 jobs think will never happen. They will transfer existing Air Force staff into the Space Cadet Force and call it good. But will claim credit for 15,000 new jobs, because that’s how the government rolls these days.
Everyone will get a new patch for their uniforms and some gov functionary will draw a new organizational chart with the new name. TA! DA! Fait accompli.
Feel free to move about the galaxy now. I’m all for spending more money on the military now that we have solved all of our earth-based problems. Right?
We spend more on the military than the other top 7 nations combined. Why do we get so little from it? Abandoning our Kurd allies, cozying up to dictators, letting Putin push us around with hackers and in Syria. The only thing we seem to be Number 1 in, is wasteful spending.