This is good:
Today, the United States took a giant leap forward in ensuring the security of our Nation with the establishment of the U.S. Space Force as the sixth branch of the Armed Forces. Located within the Department of the Air Force, the Space Force will organize, train, and equip military and civilian personnel to maintain freedom of operation in, from, and to space.
I eagerly await the Space Force contribution to Special Operations Command, as I speculated over a decade ago:
A squad of [space-delivered] Marines would be a drop in the bucket on Earth, but in space in 20 years, 13 Marines would be a decisive ground force capable of entering and capturing anything any nation would put into orbit in this time frame.
Although obviously the term "marine" is not appropriate given the organizational structure. Special Space Service (SSS, or Triple S)? That would be homage to the British with their SAS and SBS.
Or mimic the SEALs with STARs--Space Tactical Assault Response. Or even better, Space Tactical Assault and Rescue. That opens up a Coast Guard type rescue mission in addition to a military role in space.
One day, there will be a story of STAR Team 6 exploits. But my clever names never get picked up.
But while the mission is good, note that part about freedom to operate "from" and "to" space. That's the majority of the mission and that is a major limit on the service's scope of operating "in" space. The new service is only useful for the Earth-Moon system. Once we go out into the Solar System, we will need a real Space Navy.
Not that a force dedicated to the Earth-Moon system isn't really important given China's ever-expanding claims on territorial control:
There's no apparent limit to China's nine-dashed line approach to claiming territory.
So yeah, welcome Space Force.
Of course, the real question is whether Space Force gets the mission of tracking Santa.
UPDATE: So, this is not a shock (tip to Instapundit):
Rising space power China today attacked the newly created U.S. Space Force, labeling it a 'direct threat to outer space peace and security'.
Foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters that China is 'deeply concerned about it and resolutely opposed to it'.
Let's get on that STAR Team 1.
UPDATE: See? Space Force needs to have Santa in its AOR:
In the throes of the Cold War, the Soviet Union was planning to test a massive nuclear bomb in the Arctic Circle.
But in a letter to then-President John F. Kennedy, a young Michigan girl was most concerned about the North Pole's most famous resident.
“Please stop the Russians from bombing the North Pole,” 8-year-old Michelle Rochon, of Marine City, pleaded, according to news reports at the time. "Because they will kill Santa Claus.”
I mean, if even one small child is reassured. Right?
