The History and the Progress of The United States Space Force

A striking demand for more information on how to protect the nation, a new creation was needed to expand the ability and strength of security, thus the United States Space Force. The United States Space Force—known as the USSF—was established as the newest branch of the Armed Force.

This was possible through the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, which officially announced the space Force as another branch in the Military on Dec 20th of 2019. This in itself set history, as a new branch of the Armed Forces had not been created in 73 years. This new branch is based in two primary locations, which are Vandenberg Air Force Base in California and Patrick Air Force Base in Florida, where the service manages "space lift operations", the launch of satellites for the military, intelligence agencies and NASA. The USSF is essentially built to protect the U.S. and allied interests in space and to provide space capabilities to the joint force.

Although the idea of the USSF becoming a new branch and creating history is fascinating on its own, there is much more meaning to this new creation. The USSF allows for information from studies done in space to be incorporated into the way a modern military conducts operations, and it allows for new developments of techniques that the military can use. The importance of this is exemplified through the success of the U.S. Air Force, which has been essential for the advancement of security for civilian exploitation of space since its inception in 1947.

It is well known that our daily life depends on connections from space–it’s critical–serving many needs like GPS, satellite TV, and emergency communications. The first-ever Chief of Space Operations for the U.S. Space Force, General John "Jay" Raymond said; “Just think what it would be like today if Ambulances couldn’t find their way to an ambulance that they were responding to….all of that is provided from capabilities from space”. The importance of space makes the USSF's mission, protecting the US from space threats, more important than ever. This is especially relevant now, as threats, an example being when Russia fired a projectile into space which was used as a weapon in hopes of putting the U.S.’s future project plans, that were hoped to make many great discoveries, back and hoping that that would cause them to have a set back on their launching and execution of their projects and plans, this was also another history as it was a first. General John "Jay" Raymond said that these are just one of the many issues or threats that the United States Space Force is currently concerned about, as there are many incoming almost daily, not only from other nations but also through their system itself.

Although the U.S. has the most advanced space capabilities, many other nations are beginning to catch up. Potential adversaries are seeking ways to deny the U.S. access to the space capabilities fundamental to the way of war and modern way of life, which has led to creating conflict about how the planning for new projects are made and who leads between the U.S. and other countries. After all of this conflict, it was said that war is not wanted in space, as all they wanted to create was protection for the nation. This adds complexity to completing many missions that the USSF has planned to proceed, as there are many threats and more problems to surpass–as if there aren't enough already. Persevering these unfortunate paths, the USSF continues to work globally and find many more ways to incorporate the useful information from space into our daily lives here on Earth.

Through Teen Lenses: What are your general thoughts about the United States Space Force and the idea behind their creation and their responsibility?

“The USSF is one of the more intriguing United States military institutions. I believe there are a number of benefits to basing a whole branch of the military to specialize in space-related defense mechanisms which include missile defense. And while a space-based defense mechanism sounds promising it might also trigger unwanted attention from other countries. While some argue that the establishment of the USSF might indicate that the U.S. has hidden motives and wants to dominate the space force industry; I believe that the United States is just taking another step to ensure the absolute safety of its residents.”

Anonymous, 19, Sophomore at Virginia Tech, VA

“From what I know, the Space Force is a branch of the armed forces that deal with research to benefit our planet in outer space. I think it’s crucial to have an organization like this because we live in space and it’s important to protect our home on land as well as beyond. However, since it’s relatively new compared to other branches, there could be some negative feedback or general hesitancy from the public, but it’s still evolving so I think it’s admirable that they are at the forefront of space defense.”

Anonymous, 14, Freshman at TJHSST, VA

“The US Space Force (USSF) is just one of eight branches of the Armed Forces, set apart by its unique mission involving out-of-this-world operations. I don’t know much about the USSF apart from their mission statement, but I am extremely fascinated and am eager to learn more about what they do! The USSF seems to be crucial in helping our world take the next step in space exploration. One thing I would suggest is that this branch works on promoting themselves more in order to garner interest, especially from people like me who are curious to learn more about the USSF!”

Anonymous, 16, Sophomore at TJHSST, VA