The U.S. Space Force is celebrating its fifth anniversary, with Gen B. Chance Saltzman reflecting on the service’s accomplishments over the past five years. Saltzman highlighted the service’s dedication to achieving space superiority and its unparalleled talent and capabilities in the domain. The Space Force has increased its budget significantly since its establishment, absorbing other space-related agencies and growing in size each year. The service has reimagined operations, redefined policies, and reworked processes to be purpose-built for great power competition.
One of the key achievements of the Space Force in the past five years is the ability to apply a service-level focus to the space domain, similar to how the Army focuses on land, the Air Force on air, and the Navy on the sea. The service has also established components to combatant commands, such as U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Central Command, European Command, and Africa Command. The Space Force has redesigned its professional military education and officer training programs and is working towards replicating that for enlisted personnel as well.
With the support of Congress, the Space Force has found new ways to attract and manage talent, including the authority to create a part-time workforce within the single active component. This approach will be crucial for retaining talent and improving the quality of life for personnel. The Space Force’s personnel staff is currently working on developing the administrative mechanisms needed to take advantage of these new authorities. These changes provide career flexibility and exciting opportunities for personnel within the Space Force.
Overall, the U.S. Space Force has made significant progress in its first five years, establishing itself as a dedicated and capable military service focused on achieving space superiority. The service has grown in size, increased its budget, and reimagined its operations to be purpose-built for great power competition. By applying a service-level focus to the space domain, establishing components to combatant commands, and redesigning professional military education and training programs, the Space Force is well-positioned for success in the future. With new ways to attract and manage talent, the service is working towards retaining skilled personnel and improving quality of life for its members.
