**Air Force Policy Letter Digest**

**February  2001**

**AF Welcomes Space Commission's Recommendations**

A recent report submitted to Congress by the Space Commission calls for aseries of changes at the national, DOD and service levels in order to create astrong advocacy and national commitment to the national security space programs.The commission, established by Congress last year to assess the organization andmanagement of space activities in support of national security, determined thata realigned and rechartered Air Force is best suited to organize, train andequip space forces.

Air Force officials say they are pleased and enthusiastic about theobservations and recommendations that have come out of the report. The Air Forceis analyzing the recommendations, providing inputs to DOD and developingpreliminary implementation plans.

The commission recommended that Air Force Space Command become the focalpoint for developing this cadre of space professionals and advocating educationand training programs. As such, the command should be given the responsibilityand authority for the resources to execute space research, development andoperations.

Additionally, the commission recommends statutory responsibility be given tothe Air Force to organize, train and equip for prompt and sustained offensiveand defensive air and space operations. The report also calls on the defensesecretary to designate the Air Force as Executive Agent for Space within theDefense Department since the service already accounts for 85 percent of DOD'sspace-related resources and personnel.

The report also recommends assigning responsibility for command of AFSPC to afour-star officer other than the commander in chief of U.S. Space Command andNorth American Aerospace Defense Command. Currently, the same general officerholds all three positions. This recommendation is designed to give eachcommander more time to focus on his or her primary roles and responsibilities.

According to Brig.Gen. Michael A. Hamel, director for Air and SpaceOperations, Headquarters Air Force, many of the principles behind therecommendations are about how to refocus and reconsolidate authority andaccountability, and how to put the kind of focus on space that is commensuratewith how important it has become to national security. The recommendationsreflect how dependent the services are on space in all aspects of militaryoperations.

"All joint operations and services are dependent on space," hesaid. "While the Air Force is the principal provider with the singlelargest set of capabilities in space for enabling and supporting operations forthe joint force commander, there are many different agencies, services andactivities in DOD that are becoming increasingly dependent on space and that dodifferent aspects of space."

This trend has contributed to the diffusion and fragmentation of militaryspace operations addressed by the Commission.

"The recommendation on the consolidation of authority, responsibilityand budgetary decision making will help bring more focus to the current[diffusion and fragmentation] and really attest to the fact that the Air Forceis the best institution and service within the DOD to achieve the goals inherentin the report," General Hamel said.

It is still too early for the Air Force to determine how some of theprocesses, roles and relationships with the other services will evolve as aresult of the commission's recommendations, he said. However, the tools,capabilities, authority and accountability given to the Air Force by thecommission's recommendations will challenge the service to bring about the fullvision and potential argued for in aerospace integration.

"This is a golden opportunity for the Air Force to step forward and totruly bring about the critical mass of space advocacy and capabilities," hesaid. "It will really underpin the achievement of true integrated aerospacecapabilities for the joint warfighter.

"The most important thing all airmen should take away from this is that,after an exhaustive study by a very illustrious panel, the conclusion was madethat there is not another service or institution within this nation that cantake on the challenges our growing dependence on space means for nationalsecurity," General Hamel said. "That is a huge vote of confidence [inthe Air Force and its people] and the recommendations will give us the toolsneeded to step up to that leadership challenge. It is going to be an excitingtime," he said.

"We believe these steps will create a strong center of advocacy andnational commitment to the national security space efforts, enabling the AirForce to deliver even greater integrated aerospace capabilities to the jointwarfighter," he said.

//signed//RONALD T. RANDBrigadier General, USAFDirector of Public Affairs