Why is the Space Force a whole different military branch instead of a command under the Air Force? Is there any advantage?

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 20 Aug 2020 09:14:28 -0400

Response by 2LT Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 20 at 2020 9:53 AM

2LT Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 20 Aug 2020 09:53:51 -0400

Sir, I imagine the budget requirements of space operations look better as a separate entity rather than doubling, if not more, the budget proposals of the AF.

Response by CW2 Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 20 at 2020 10:02 AM

CW2 Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 20 Aug 2020 10:02:21 -0400

I see it as because the Army also had a large piece of the space domain. Instead of bringing one under another (army to air force) they decided to allow for near independent operation from USA and USAF, along with the budget and place among the JCS. This leaves only Cyber as not having its own force within the 5 domains (though many see 7 domains including info and human).

I foresee someday the Space Force will become larger than the Air Force and them almost switching places with AF under SF rather than SF under AF.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 20 at 2020 10:10 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 20 Aug 2020 10:10:13 -0400

The Air Force fought for years to keep it under them. The Space Force concept has been being pitched since President Obama was in office. The AF didn’t want to lose the funding that would go if their space assets were pulled. The decision was made before President Trump took office to make it a separate branch, but it wasn’t fully funded until after he took over. For several years military and civilian policy makers pushed for a separate branch but the AF lobbied heavily against it.

Response by Maj Walter Kilar made Aug 20 at 2020 10:21 AM

Maj Walter Kilar — Thu, 20 Aug 2020 10:21:58 -0400

As a former officer who spent half his career around fighter jets and half around space systems, I will tell you from an insider point of view.

Point 1: Personnel and expertise. Air Force Space Command (AFSPC) was a major command with about 35,000 personnel, but not all of those personnel were entirely space-focused. Also there were other space cadre spread throughout the Air Force serving at the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM), and Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). Some of the space cadre were being moved in and out of the space community every 3-4 years. By creating a separate branch of the military, the US Space Force (USSF) can now manage its cadre of space personnel in a more focused manner.

Point 2: Funding. The AFSPC budget was about $10B per year (using round numbers) out of the entire, joint space budget of $12B. There is $38B of funding that was used as a "pass-through" to the intelligence community for classified programs. The US Air Force (USAF) budget is about $200B per year, minus the $10B for AFSPC and the $38B pass-through, leaving the USAF to "execute" a $200B with "only" $152B. The separation of of the USSF from the USAF means that the USAF owns almost all of the budget that it must execute and report to Congress, and now the USSF gets its own budget that it does not need to compete against fighter jets, bombers, and some portion of the classified pass-through. Ideally, the USSF would have about 50% control over that intelligence community pass-through. By creating a separate branch of the military, both the USAF and the USSF can better manage the funding they receive.

Point 3: Unity of command and new applications of space power. Before the creation of USSF, a good amount of the space forces in all branches was shared with air, ground, sea, marine, and cyber forces. Around the same time that the USSF was created, the Department of Defense stood up an eleventh unified command, US Space Command (USSPACECOM). Under this construct, USSF has unity of command in terms of the organize, train, and equip function for the joint space forces, and the majority of those functions ($10B out of $12B budget (83%), and the plurality of the now 40k personnel (20k or 50% USSF, 15k or 38% USAF/NRO/other (for now), and 5k Army/Navy). This also opens the door for the US Army and US Navy to have combatant command authority over the joint space forces in a more meaningful, efficient, and combat-lethal manner. To be fair, the USAF/ AFSPC did not use space forces as a combat multiplier or a lethal combat force. When US Army's GEN James Dickinson takes over as USSPACECOM commander, the joint space forces will gain a combatant commander whose command experience spans strategic, operational, and tactical command and operations experience. Nothing against US Space Force Gen Jay Raymond, but the lethal application of military power looks very different from a Minuteman missile silo or Joint Space Operations Center console compared to an air defense artillery battery or a tactical operations center in Afghanistan or Iraq. By creating a separate branch of the military, the DoD gains more unity of command at the strategic, operational and tactical levels (rather than a purely strategic support function as it was under AFSPC).

Response by MAJ Ronnie Reams made Aug 20 at 2020 10:38 AM

MAJ Ronnie Reams — Thu, 20 Aug 2020 10:38:57 -0400

Does this mean that Astronauts will be in USSF instead of being a conglomeration of different services?
So not any inter service rivalry among the spacemen.

Response by SSgt Christophe Murphy made Aug 20 at 2020 11:07 AM

SSgt Christophe Murphy — Thu, 20 Aug 2020 11:07:33 -0400

The Space Force is it's own branch but they are still under the Dept of the Air Force. Just like the Marine Corps is it's own branch but falls under the Dept of the Navy. So technically they are under the Air Force.

Response by SFC Michael Hasbun made Aug 20 at 2020 1:59 PM

SFC Michael Hasbun — Thu, 20 Aug 2020 13:59:33 -0400

Because the Air Force will capitalize on the situation, eat 90% of their budget, and the Space Force will be left eating scraps.
Same thing that happened to the Marine Corps since it was organized under the Department of the Navy...

Response by CAPT Kevin B. made Aug 20 at 2020 2:04 PM

CAPT Kevin B. — Thu, 20 Aug 2020 14:04:34 -0400

Great reads. There's also the notion of mission dilution, i.e. the more you do it, the less good you are with any particular element. The days of wooden ships showed why you have Marines. The trick here will be figuring out the interfaces with all the services to achieve that force multiplier aspect we forever chase. We tend to use these vague words when we really mean "the ability to kill or defend more with less". Second aspect is critical mass. Remember the adage pigs get fat and hogs get slaughtered? Sizing and mission limits will be essential. As with any new thing, there will be aspects of something in search of a mission. That's what the growing pains sort out.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Aug 20 at 2020 2:24 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Thu, 20 Aug 2020 14:24:08 -0400

I think the Space Force should be independent in order to create its doctrine.