US Space Force 5 years later: What has it accomplished so far, and where does it go from here?

Dec 20, 2024
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I have objected to the use of "Space Force" since day one. I prefer using a previous used department designation "United States Space Command" which I find more aesthetically pleasing because it doesn't sound as "forced", if you'll pardon the pun.
 
Oct 15, 2020
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Everything described as achievements of a "space force" squad was there decades earlier.
Everything except the fact that the USAF Air Staff was regularly "reprogramming" the USAF Space Command appropriated budget to fund fighter squadrons' combat readiness, instead of what USAF Space Command would have done with the money. Until they were a separate Service, the Air Staff would have continued sucking away money for "things with wings".

Now, the Space Force are equals in reporting directly to their civilian Secretary. They plan their own budget, and the "things with wings" officers can get their own money from Congress. As a result, the PLAASF has a far harder job to disable hundreds of satellites, instead of the 60-70 the Air Staff found "sufficient".
 
Jan 28, 2023
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Everything except the fact that the USAF Air Staff was regularly "reprogramming" the USAF Space Command appropriated budget to fund fighter squadrons' combat readiness, instead of what USAF Space Command would have done with the money. Until they were a separate Service, the Air Staff would have continued sucking away money for "things with wings".

Now, the Space Force are equals in reporting directly to their civilian Secretary. They plan their own budget, and the "things with wings" officers can get their own money from Congress. As a result, the PLAASF has a far harder job to disable hundreds of satellites, instead of the 60-70 the Air Staff found "sufficient".
With other words benefited from their own budget. This is still not a guarantee of the success of the space forces as the realization of the goals of the organization, but it is a guarantee of personal enrichment of the administration of the space forces.
 
Oct 15, 2020
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With other words benefited from their own budget. This is still not a guarantee of the success of the space forces as the realization of the goals of the organization, but it is a guarantee of personal enrichment of the administration of the space forces.
"This is still not a guarantee of the success of the space forces as the realization of the goals of the organization, ..."

Nothing guarantees that until it is accomplished. What it does guarantee is the freedom of Space Force planners to focus on military space objectives, instead of Air Force interests.

"... but it is a guarantee of personal enrichment of the administration of the space forces."

Which attitude shows where you think the focus of military planning is, and nothing more. This anti-military attitude is yet another exposition of the university-led attitude that defending industrializing societies is not really important. In fact, it is the most important thing any current government does.
 

COLGeek

Cybernaut
Moderator
Apr 3, 2020
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I'm not so sure about the funding scenario mentioned earlier in pre-Space Force times. When I was working with space-based systems, their budgets were fenced (not going into details). Personnel were also a priority for fills/retention.

I am not a fan of Space Force, go to the food court at the Pentagon and you'll see them hard at work. I am not exaggerating.

Space Force's creation did align the various space related efforts under a single org structure. Prior to that, it was spread among the services. However, there was a robust command structure already in place that worked rather well.

The creation of another Service was more political then needs based.