President Donald Trump signed S.1790, the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 as senior leaders looked on, on
Friday, December 20, 2019 at Joint Base Andrews. The act authorizes a
budget that supports the U.S. armed forces and postures the Air Force to
meet the requirements of the National Defense Strategy. (U.S. Air Force
photo by Airman 1st Class Spencer Slocum)
Real Hero Report |
With the Stroke of a Pen, U.S.
Space Force Becomes a Reality
President Trump signed into law Dec. 20 the sprawling, $738
billion defense bill, making history by creating the Space
Force as a stand-alone, sixth branch of the U.S. military and
federal workers.
“Today also marks another landmark achievement as we
States Space Force, this is a very big and important moment,”
said President Donald J. Trump.”
The Space Force and parental leave were two of the
Authorization (NDAA), a law running 1,976 pages that serves as
comprehensive, annual blueprint for military spending and policy
priorities and operating standards. The law touches almost every
corner of the military and beyond since it is one of the rare pieces
of legislation that regularly passes Congress and is signed into
law.
In addition to Space Force and paid parental leave, the law
calls for a 3.1 percent pay raise for active -duty personnel; it
prohibits Turkey from participating in the F-35 program as long
as it continues to possessing a Russian-made missile system.
It prescribes active-duty strength for all the services while also
carrying provisions to improve military housing and health care,
purchasing 60 F-35s for the Air Force and thousands of other
directives and recommendations.
Trump mentioned a number of the law’s signature items in
a 20-minute address in a hangar at Andrews before signing the
legislation into law. He was surrounded by hundreds of military
personnel, members of Congress and senior leaders from the
Pentagon including the Joint Chiefs as well as Air Force Secretary
Barbara M. Barrett and Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein.
Space Operations, was also present.
2018 and for whom bringing it to reality was a personal priority,
1947.
“There are grave threats to our national security,” said Trump.
“American superiority in space is absolutely vital. The Space
Force will help us deter aggression and control the ultimate high
ground.”
He was echoed by Secretary of Defense Mark Esper who said,
“We are at the dawn of a new era for our Nation’s Armed Forces.
The establishment of the U.S. Space Force is an historic event
and a strategic imperative for our Nation. Space has become
so important to our way of life, our economy, and our national
security that we must be prepared as a Nation to protect it from
hostile actions,” said Secretary of Defense, Mark T. Esper. “Our
Military Services have created the world’s best space capabilities.
Now is the time for the U.S. Space Force to lead our Nation in
preparing for emerging threats in an evolving space environment.
This new service will help ensure we are postured to deter
aggression, defend our national interests and outpace potential
adversaries.”
For many in the Air Force-heavy crowd at Andrews, the Space
Force and the historic moment were particularly meaningful.
Barrett, for example, has made creating Space Force her highest
priority since becoming Air Force secretary in October.
Now is the time for a separate service totally focused on
organizing, training, and equipping for space, she said. While
once a wide open “domain” reserved only for the United States
and Russia, space today has become far more congested and
crowded with other nations and commercial interests actively
operating in space. At the same time space has also become
a crucial factor in protecting national security and supporting
activities of everyday life ranging from cell phone service, GPS,
banking and the ability to easily and instantly transmit data
anywhere in the world.
As such, the United States says space must be protected
and preserved and that the United State’s superiority in space
maintained. “The U.S. Space Force will help the DoD meet the
challenges of the future security environment,” a Department of
Defense statement says. “Space is integral to national security and
our way of life, and this service will posture us to compete, deter,
and win in an era of great power competition.”
By creating a new, separate service with a dedicated purpose,
the United States will maintain space superiority, even as space
becomes more crowded and contested. The new defense law
also directs that the Space Force “shall provide the freedom of
operation in, from, and to space, while providing prompt and
sustained space operations.”