Hi guys, ever since the creation of the new military branch 'Space Force', I've been intrigued. Does anyone have insights into its mission, requirements, etc? How does it differ from the other branches? Thanks in advance!
Hello! The United States Space Force (USSF) is indeed the most recent branch of the U.S. military, established in 2019. Its main mission is to organize, train, and equip space forces to protect U.S. and allied interests in space and to provide space capabilities to the other branches of the U.S. military. This includes working on tasks like satellite communications, space defense, and geospatial intelligence.
The Space Force is separate from, but similar to, the Air Force in its focus on air and space superiority. However, while the Air Force has broad responsibilities ranging from in-atmosphere flight, strategic bombing, and support to ground forces, the Space Force is specifically focused on operations and defense in the space domain. Therefore, its concerns typically revolve around satellites, space navigation, and space surveillance systems.
In terms of requirements, enlisted personnel and officers in the Space Force have to meet physical, citizenship, and education qualifications, much like the other branches. However, these qualifications vary depending on the specific career track within the Space Force, such as cyber operations, intelligence, or space operations.
One greatly interesting aspect of the Space Force is that it's the first new military service since the creation of the Air Force in 1947, and it faces unique challenges in its development. This provides a unique opportunity to contribute to the formation of a brand new branch of the military.
Keep in mind, though, that it's relatively smaller compared to other branches and therefore more competitive to get into. And the training would be heavy in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), especially for technical roles.
I hope this gives you a good starting point to dive further into understanding the Space Force!
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