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U.S. NEWS Saturday 2 March 2019
Space Force would be by far the smallest military service

By ROBERT BURNS
AP National Security Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) — The
Trump administration's pro-
posed Space Force, which
faces an uncertain fate
in Congress, would be the
smallest military service —
by far.
Details of the Pentagon's
proposal released Friday
show the new service would
have about 15,000 person-
nel, including an unspeci-
fied number of civilians, but
would begin in 2020 as only
a headquarters of about
200. The proposal was sub-
mitted Wednesday to Con-
gress, which must authorize
the new service.
Space Force would be the
first new military service
since an independent Air
Force was established in
1947 as part of a broad
reorganization of the gov-
ernment's military and intel- President Donald Trump hands a pen to Air Force Gen. Paul Selva after signing "Space Policy Directive 4" in the Oval Office of the
ligence agencies. White House, Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2019, in Washington.
Space Force would reside Associated Press
within the Department
of the Air Force, similar to vice will give space issues can "compete, deter and, changes to improve U.S. publican and chairman of
how the Marine Corps ex- a stronger voice within the if needed, win in a com- space defense capabili- the Senate Armed Services
ists within the Department military and create a spe- plex domain." He credited ties, some key members Committee, has expressed
of the Navy. It would have cial space culture and ex- Trump with a "bold vision for question the wisdom of doubts, although on Fri-
its own chief of staff, a four- pertise. space." creating a separate mili- day he issued a statement
star general who would an- The plan submitted to While many in Congress tary service. Sen. James welcoming the Pentagon's
swer to the secretary of the Congress calls for phas- support organizational Inhofe, the Oklahoma Re- proposal.q
Air Force, currently Heather ing in a Space Force over
Wilson. five years beginning with
Currently the smallest the 2020 budget year. This
branch of the armed forces would add an estimated $2
is the Coast Guard, which billion in costs beyond what
has about 40,000 active- is spent on existing military
duty members in uniform space activities. Many de-
and is part of the Depart- tails of the new service
ment of Homeland Secu- have yet to be worked out,
rity. The second-smallest including whether it would
service, the Marine Corps, have its own boot camp
has 186,000. The biggest for recruits and whether it
military service is the Army, would have its own uniform
with 487,500 active-duty design.
members. Not all space-related gov-
President Donald Trump ernment activities would
has pushed the Pentagon fall under the Space Force.
to create a Space Force It would not include the
that is "separate but equal Pentagon's Missile Defense
to" the other military servic- Agency, the National Aero-
es. His first defense secre- nautics and Space Admin-
tary, Jim Mattis, initially was istration, the National Oce-
cool to the idea, arguing anic and Atmospheric Ad-
against adding expensive ministration or the National
new layers of bureaucracy. Reconnaissance Office,
Critics have questioned the which builds and maintains
need to create a Space intelligence satellites in
Force as a separate military space.
service, noting that there Acting Defense Secretary
are relatively small num- Patrick Shanahan issued
bers of people required to a written statement Friday
carry out space-related calling the proposal "an
missions. The Pentagon ar- historic moment for our
gues that a separate ser- nation," ensuring the U.S.