Trump Orders Creation of United States Space Command
Credit: Matt Wade
President to the Secretary of Defense Regarding the Establishment of the United States Space Command
MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE
SUBJECT: Establishment of United States Space Command as a Unified Combatant Command
Pursuant to my authority as the Commander in Chief and under section 161 of title 10, United States Code, and in consultation with the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, I direct the establishment, consistent with United States law, of United States Space Command as a functional Unified Combatant Command. I also direct the Secretary of Defense to recommend officers for my nomination and Senate confirmation as Commander and Deputy Commander of the new United States Space Command.
I assign to United States Space Command: (1) all the general responsibilities of a Unified Combatant Command; (2) the space‑related responsibilities previously assigned to the Commander, United States Strategic Command; and (3) the responsibilities of Joint Force Provider and Joint Force Trainer for Space Operations Forces. The comprehensive list of authorities and responsibilities for United States Space Command will be included in the next update to the Unified Command Plan.
Consistent with section 161(b)(2) of title 10, United States Code, and section 301 of title 3, United States Code, you are directed to notify the Congress on my behalf.
You are authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register.
DONALD J. TRUMP
2 responses to “Trump Orders Creation of United States Space Command”
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Space Command makes a lot of sense. We should run it for some time to establish a mix of of authorities and combat roles that will experimentally set the stage for what a future space force will do and won’t do. It’s good to see this smart move was made hopefully in place of the pre-mature birth of a space force.
Space Command is a good first step. It might even prove to be enough altogether if it quickly establishes itself as a combat-oriented command as SOCOM has done and hits the ground running. One thing it definitely does not have is the luxury of time.
In combination with the Space Development Agency now aborning, perhaps the U.S. can do what it clearly must in space without directly confronting the worst of the mindless reflexive partisanship and near-religious veneration of the legacy service structure of the U.S. military that would need to be directly confronted at this time in order to stand up a U.S. Space Force. I don’t have a problem with Space Command being the USAAF of a future USSF. The name and the formalities can always catch up with the actual work later.