Space Force official: Transfers of military personnel to Space Force are strictly voluntary -...

The vice commander of the U.S. Space Force Lt. Gen. David “DT” Thompson told a large audience of airmen on Feb. 27 that thousands of Air Force personnel who work in space-related occupations are expected to transfer to the newly created service in the coming years. But he insisted that nobody will be required to transfer if they choose not to.

The United States military has an all-volunteer force, and the Space Force will not be any different, Thompson said in a keynote speech at the Air Force Association’s annual winter symposium.

While it’s common knowledge that U.S. military service is entirely voluntary, there has been some confusion about how the Space Force ranks will be populated. Congress in the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act enacted the Space Force as the sixth branch of the armed forces but did not allow the Pentagon to add more people and instead directed the Air Force to shift personnel and resources internally to form the space service.