United States Space Force

The **United States Space Force** (**USSF**) is a part of the U.S. Armed Forces that is focused on war in space. It is the sixth branch of the U.S. military.

The Space Force is a part of the Department of the Air Force, one of the three parts of the U.S. Department of Defense, and so it is led by the Secretary of the Air Force, who is under the Secretary of Defense. The leader of the Space Force is the Chief of Space Operations. 

## History
On June 18, 2018, U.S. President Donald Trump announced in an address to the National Space Council a directive that requests the creation of a sixth branch of the United States Armed Forces.

The president announced his intention for The Pentagon to create the 'Space Force' as an independent service branch, separate from the U.S. Air Force.  Many U.S. Senators stated that they would rather create a Space Corps inside the Air Force.  The Air Force has had a "Space Command" since September 1, 1982.  

Vice President Mike Pence in August 2018 announced a plan that would create the Space Force by 2020.

General John W. Raymond was nominated to be commander of Space Command in April 2019, and his nomination was heard in the United States Senate in June 2019. He was previously head of U.S. Air Force Space Command.  Air Force Secretary Barbara Barrett approved the moving of part of the Air Force to the Space Force and making it the Space Operations Command. 

On 20 December 2019, the Space Force became the sixth armed service branch. General Raymond became the first Chief of Space Operations.  This happened on 20 December 2019.

## Functions and duties
### Functions
According to the United States Space Force Act, the Space Force exists to make sure that the United States can operate freely in space and conduct military actions there quickly and for a long time. 

### Duties
Its duties are to protect the interests of the United States in space. It also prevents attacks on the United States in and from space, and to generally operate in space.

The leader of the Space Force is the Chief of Space Operations (CSO), who is a general. The Chief of Space Operations became a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in December 2020, one year after the Space Force Act was passed.

### Structure
**Space Operations Command (SPOC)**, Vandenberg Space Force Base, California
*** 21st Space Wing (21 SW)**, Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado
*** 30th Space Wing (30 SW)**, Vandenberg Space Force Base, California
*** 45th Space Wing (45 SW)**, Patrick Space Force Base, Florida
*** 50th Space Wing (50 SW)**, Schriever Space Force Base, Colorado
*** 460th Space Wing (460 SW)**, Vandenberg Space Force Base, Colorado
*** 614th Air Operations Center (614 AOC)**, Vandenberg Space Force Base, California
** Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC)**, Los Angeles Air Force Base, California
*** 61st Air Base Group (61 ABG)**, Los Angeles Air Force Base, California

## References
## Other websites
*
* Strategic Forces 115th Congress , Armed Service Republicans
* 
* H.R.2810&nbsp;— National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018&nbsp;— House version, United States Congress
* S.1519&nbsp;— National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018&nbsp;— Senate version, United States Congress
* Final Report on Organizational and Management Structure for the National Security Space Components of the Department of Defense