Space Force selects 2,400 ‘space operators’ to help launch new military branch

Since being founded in 2019, the U.S. Space Force has been applauded, mocked, criticized, and harnessed enough attention and imagination to spawn a Netflix comedy series of the same name.

But the young military branch is taking a big step forward, and is transferring 2,410 “space operators” from the Air Force into its ranks, Space Force announced Thursday.

“This is an exciting and historic time for these space operators who will be some of the first members to join the Space Force,” Lt. Gen. David “DT” Thompson, vice commander, U.S Space Force, said. “Each one of them has an important responsibility to contribute bold ideas to shape the Space Force into a 21st century service.”

With those new transfers, Space Force will have 2,500 troops total, Stars and Stripes reported. Leadership at the Pentagon hopes to eventually have 16,000 serving the branch.

President Donald Trump pushed to fund Space Force, America’s sixth military branch, and succeeded in December 2019. He declared “Space is the world’s newest war-fighting domain,” during the signing ceremony, NPR reported.

“Amid grave threats to our national security, American superiority in space is absolutely vital.”

Critics, top military officials among them, expressed concern over potential costs, and that the branch was being rushed to launch before establishing its mission and purpose, according to the outlet.

As of today, the USSF defines its mission as training, organizing and equipping American space forces to protect the nation and national interests, and “developing military space professionals, acquiring military space systems, maturing the military doctrine for space power, and organizing space forces to present to our Combatant Commands.”

More than 8,500 Air Force personnel have volunteered for transfer to Space Force, and the 2,410 selected so far were already specialized in space operations fields, according to a statement from the branch. Most will officially join the Space Force on Sept. 1.

The remainder of those 8,500 have other expertise the branch needs, and will go through a separate screening to pick the most apt candidates.

“There has been substantial planning behind the scenes between the Space Force and Air Force personnel lists to get us to this day,” said Patricia Mulcahy, deputy chief of space operations for personnel and logistics.

As the Space Force gets up and running, Army and Navy soldiers will be transferred in as well, between 2022 and 2023, the statement said.

This story was originally published July 16, 2020 at 5:14 PM.