The

United States Space Force The United States Space Force (USSF) is the Space force, space service branch of the United States Armed Forces, U.S. Armed Forces, one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and the world's only inde ...

is organized by different units: the Space Staff, the field commands, and the space deltas. The Space Force is organized as one of two coequal military service branches within the

Department of the Air Force The United States Department of the Air Force (DAF) is one of the three military departments within the Department of Defense of the United States of America. The Department of the Air Force was formed on September 18, 1947, per the National Sec ...

, the other being the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army S ...

. Both services are overseen by the

Secretary of the Air Force A secretary, administrative professional, administrative assistant, executive assistant, administrative officer, administrative support specialist, clerk, military assistant, management assistant, office secretary, or personal assistant is a ...

, who has overall responsibility for organizing, training, and equipping the Air Force and Space Force. The military head of the Space Force is the

chief of space operations The chief of space operations (CSO) is the service chief of the United States Space Force. The CSO is the principal military adviser to the secretary of the Air Force for Space Force operations and, as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a m ...

(CSO), who is an officer in the grade of

general A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". O ...

Space Staff

The Space Staff is the headquarters of the U.S. Space Force. Like the U.S. Air Force's Air Staff that is under the

, it is overseen by the

Office of the Secretary of the Air Force The secretary of the Air Force, sometimes referred to as the secretary of the Department of the Air Force, (SecAF, or SAF/OS) is the head of the Department of the Air Force and the service secretary for the United States Air Force and United S ...

. It is responsible for developing doctrine, guidance, and plans in performing the Space Force's functions, cooperating with the Air Staff on support issues. It is composed of the military service's most senior leaders: the

, the vice chief of space operations, and the chief master sergeant of the Space Force. Like the other services, there is a director of staff who oversees the synchronization of policies and plans of the headquarters staff and four deputy chiefs of space operations. The Space Staff was designed to be lean. Compared to the Air Force's nine headquarters directorates, the Space Force merged nine functional areas into four directorates. Additionally, each of the four deputy chiefs of space operations has unofficial positional titles akin to that of corporate organizations: chief human capital officer, chief operations officer, chief technology and innovation officer, and chief strategy and resourcing officer. The chief human capital officer and chief technology and innovation officer positions are held by senior civilian officials at the SES-3 level, while both the chief operations officer and chief strategy and resourcing officer positions are filled by two lieutenant generals. *

Chief of Space Operations The chief of space operations (CSO) is the service chief of the United States Space Force. The CSO is the principal military adviser to the secretary of the Air Force for Space Force operations and, as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a m ...

(CSO): Gen B. Chance Saltzman ** Vice Chief of Space Operations (VCSO): Gen David D. Thompson *** Director of Staff: Lt Gen

Nina M. Armagno Nina Marion Armagno (born March 20, 1966) is a United States Space Force lieutenant general, serving as the director of staff of the United States Space Force. She is the service's first female general officer and the only officer to have comma ...

**** Deputy Director of Staff:

Wade Yamada Wade, WADE, or Wades may refer to: Places in the United States * Wade, California, a former settlement * Wade, Maine, a town * Wade, Mississippi, a census-designated place * Wade, North Carolina, a town * Wade, Ohio, an unincorporated communi ...

*** for Personnel (S1):

Katharine Kelley Katherine, also spelled Catherine, and other variations are feminine names. They are popular in Christian countries because of their derivation from the name of one of the first Christian saints, Catherine of Alexandria. In the early Christ ...

**** Assistant DCSO for Personnel:

Todd L. Remington Todd or Todds may refer to: Places ;Australia: * Todd River, an ephemeral river ;United States: * Todd Valley, California, also known as Todd, an unincorporated community * Todd, Missouri, a ghost town * Todd, North Carolina, an unincorporated ...

*** DCSO for Intelligence (S2): Maj Gen Gregory Gagnon **** Assistant DCSO for Intelligence: Joseph D. Rouge *** DCSO for Operations, Cyber, and Nuclear (S3/4/6/7/10): Lt Gen DeAnna Burt **** Assistant DCSO for Operations, Cyber, and Nuclear: Brig Gen Troy Endicott ***** Associate DCSO for Operations, Cyber, and Nuclear:

Bruce E. Hollywood The English language name Bruce arrived in Scotland with the Normans, from the place name Brix, Manche in Normandy, France, meaning "the willowlands". Initially promulgated via the descendants of king Robert the Bruce (1274−1329), it has been a ...

**** Mobilization Assistant to the DCSO: Brig Gen Traci Kueker-Murphy, USAF *** DCSO for Strategy, Plans, Programs, Requirements, and Analysis (S5/8): Lt Gen Philip Garrant **** Assistant DCSO for Strategy, Plans, Programs, Requirements, and Analysis:

Stephen L. Hart Stephen or Steven is a common English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; h ...

***** Director of Plans and Programs (S8): Brig Gen Jennifer L. Grant, USAF ****** Chief of Programming (S8/P): Brig Gen Robert Hutt **** Mobilization Assistant to the DCSO: Brig Gen Damon S. Feltman, USAF *** DCSO for Technology and Innovation (S9): Dr.

Lisa Costa Lisa A. Costa is an American computer scientist and defense official serving as the deputy chief of space operations for technology and logistics of the United States Space Force since 2021. She is its chief technology and innovation officer. ...

**** Assistant DCSO for Technology and Innovation: Col Roy V. Rockwell ** Mobilization Assistant to the CSO: Maj Gen John M. Olson, USAF ** Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force (CMSSF): CMSSF Roger A. Towberman

Field organization

The Space Force field organization consist of three different echelons of command: field commands, deltas, and squadrons.

Field command

Field commands align with specific mission focuses and are led by officers in the grade of lieutenant general or major general, comparable to the United States Air Force's

major command Major Command or Major Commands are large formations of the United States Armed Forces. Historically, a Major Command is the highest level of command. Within the United States Army, the acronym MACOM is used for Major Command. Within the United St ...

. The Space Force's three field commands will be

Space Operations Command Space Operations Command (SpOC) is the United States Space Force's space operations, cyber operations, and intelligence field command. It is headquartered at Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado and serves as the U.S. Space Force's service com ...

(SpOC),

Space Systems Command Space Systems Command (SSC) is the United States Space Force's space development, acquisition, launch, and logistics field command. It is headquartered at Los Angeles Air Force Base, California and manages the United States' space launch ...

(SSC), and Space Training and Readiness Command (STARCOM). Denotes planned unit but not yet activated.

Space Operations Command

The

(SpOC) will be the primary force provider of space forces and capabilities. It is responsible for the organization, training, equipping, command and control, and employment of space forces to support operational plans and missions for U.S. combatant commanders. It is headquartered at

Peterson Space Force Base Peterson Space Force Base, previously Peterson Air Force Base, Peterson Field, and Army Air Base, Colorado Springs, is a U.S. Space Force Base that shares an airfield with the adjacent Colorado Springs Municipal Airport and is home to the Nor ...

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the wes ...

. Established on 21 October 2020, SpOC was the first field command activated. It was established by the redesignation of the headquarters of the former

Air Force Space Command The atmosphere of Earth is the layer of gases, known collectively as air, retained by Earth's gravity that surrounds the planet and forms its planetary atmosphere. The atmosphere of Earth protects life on Earth by creating pressure allowing for ...

to Space Operations Command. It was composed of the 10 deltas and two garrisons activated on 24 July 2020. This included the

Space Training and Readiness Delta (Provisional) The Space Training and Readiness Delta (Provisional) (STAR Delta (P)) was a United States Space Force unit responsible for the training and education of space professionals, as well as the development of space warfighting doctrine. It was a compon ...

which served as the interim unit for space training and education until the August 2021 stand-up of a full field command. SpOC also maintained command of the two launch wings, which were later redesignated as launch deltas in 2021, previously under the Air Force Space Command until the establishment of the Space Systems Command. The

14th Air Force The Fourteenth Air Force (14 AF; Air Forces Strategic) was a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Space Command (AFSPC). It was headquartered at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. The command was responsible for the organizatio ...

Vandenberg Space Force Base Vandenberg Space Force Base , previously Vandenberg Air Force Base, is a United States Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County, California. Established in 1941, Vandenberg Space Force Base is a space launch base, launching spacecraft from th ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...

that was temporarily redesignated Space Operations Command upon the creation of the Space Force was inactivated. A new unit,

Space Operations Command West The Combined Force Space Component Command (CFSCC) is a U.S.-led multinational subordinate command of United States Space Command. It is responsible for tactical control of American and multinational space forces. The CFSCC's mission is to "plan, ...

(SpOC West), was activated to serve as headquarters of the

Combined Force Space Component Command The Combined Force Space Component Command (CFSCC) is a U.S.-led multinational subordinate command of United States Space Command. It is responsible for tactical control of American and multinational space forces. The CFSCC's mission is to "plan, ...

(CFSCC), a subordinate command of the

United States Space Command United States Space Command (USSPACECOM or SPACECOM) is a unified combatant command of the United States Department of Defense, responsible for military operations in outer space, specifically all operations 100 kilometers (62 miles) and grea ...

. The SpOC West commander also served as the commander of CFSCC and as the deputy commander of SpOC.

Space Systems Command

The

(SSC) is becoming responsible for developing, acquiring, and fielding space systems, as well as launch, sustainment, and maintenance of space systems. It also advises Space Force science and technology activities. The Space Force on 8 April 2021 announced the planned structure of the SSC. Led by a lieutenant general, SSC was to be formed by redesignating the

Space and Missile Systems Center Space Systems Command (SSC) is the United States Space Force's space development, acquisition, launch, and logistics field command. It is headquartered at Los Angeles Air Force Base, California and manages the United States' space launch ...

, Commercial Satellite Communications Office, and other space systems programs offices transferred into the Space Force, being stood up in summer 2021. On July 29,

Michael Guetlein Michael Anthony Guetlein (born November 22, 1967) is a United States Space Force lieutenant general who serves as the first commander of the Space Systems Command Space Systems Command (SSC) is the United States Space Force's space develop ...

was confirmed as its first commander by the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and ...

. The ceremony installing him in command of the new SSC was held August 13, 2021. Under the new structure, the two launch deltas previously under SpOC were reassigned to SSC under the oversight of the SSC deputy commander. The commander of the Space Launch Delta 45 will take on additional duties as the field command's director of operations.

Space Training and Readiness Command

The Space Training and Readiness Command was planned to train and educate space professionals, develop combat-ready space forces, and additionally taking on the roles of integrated testing and on-orbit checkout. Initially, before the activation of the command, a Space Training and Readiness Delta was established in July 2020 at Peterson SFB. STARCOM was activated on 23 August 2021, led by a major general. Five subordinate deltas then began being established: one each for training, doctrine and lessons learned, range and aggressor, test and evaluation, and education.

Delta

The Space Force has no command echelon equivalent of the U.S. Air Force′s

numbered air force A Numbered Air Force (NAF) is a type of organization in the United States Air Force that is subordinate to a major command (MAJCOM) and has assigned to it operational units such as wings, squadrons, and groups.

s, so the next command echelon below field commands is the delta, a single level of command which combines the

wing A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is exp ...

and group command echelons found in the U.S. Air Force. Each delta is organized around a specific function, such as operations, installation support, or training, and is led by an officer in the grade of

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...

. Space Deltas are operational organizations, but have no responsibility for base support, which is either the Air Force′s responsibility, or that of the Space Base Deltas, the former Garrisons. The first 11 deltas in the Space Force initially were assigned to the

. Of those, two were realigned under the

, and the Space Training and Readiness Delta (Provisional) became a separate field command. Denotes planned unit but not yet activated.

Squadron

Below deltas in the Space Force structure are squadrons. Space Force squadrons are focused on specific tactics and are led by an officer in the grade of lieutenant colonel.

History

On 20 December 2019,

's principal components were

(Air Forces Strategic) and the

. At the same time as the creation of the Space Force 14th Air Force was redesignated as Space Operations Command. On 12 March 2019, the Space Development Agency (SDA), a new space-focused development agency, additional to the Space and Missile Systems Center and the Space Rapid Capabilities Office, was established. It was established under the authority of the under secretary of defense for research and engineering. As of January 2020, the SDA is planned to become part of the U.S. Space Force in October 2022. In early April 2020, a list of twenty-three units to be transferred from the Air Force to the Space Force was publicly reported. Those units included the

17th Test Squadron The 17th Test and Evaluation Squadron is a United States Space Force test and evaluation unit, located at Schriever Space Force Base, Colorado. The squadron is tasked with testing and evaluating space systems and associated support equipment. ...

, Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado;

18th Intelligence Squadron The 18th Intelligence Squadron is an intelligence organization of the United States Air Force, located at Buckley Space Force Base, Colorado. The squadron delivers decision advantage through strong mission partnerships to the air component, ...

, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH; the 25th Space Range Squadron, Schriever AFB, CO; the 328th Weapons Squadron, Nellis AFB, NV; the

527th Space Aggressor Squadron The 527th Space Aggressor Squadron is a United States Space Force unit assigned to the Space Training and Readiness Delta (Provisional). The unit traces its lineage to the 312th Bombardment Squadron (Light) constituted in 1942. It presents re ...

, Schriever AFB, CO; the

7th Intelligence Squadron The United States Air Force's 7th Intelligence Squadron is an intelligence unit located at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland. The squadron, as the 7th Radio Squadron, Mobile, provided intelligence for American forces in New Guinea and the Philipp ...

, 659th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group, 70th ISR Wing, Ft. Meade, Maryland*;

Sixteenth Air Force The Sixteenth Air Force (Air Forces Cyber) (16 AF) is a United States Air Force (USAF) organization responsible for information warfare, which encompasses intelligence gathering and analysis, surveillance, reconnaissance, cyber warfare and e ...

/Advanced Programs*, Schriever AFB, Colorado; the

32nd Intelligence Squadron The 32d Intelligence Squadron is a unit of the United States Air Force 707th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group located at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland. Overview The 32d Intelligence Squadron is a specialized organization that ...

, Ft. Meade, Maryland*; the 566th Intelligence Squadron, Buckley AFB, Colorado*; the

544th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group The 544th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command Sixteenth Air Force. It is stationed at Buckley Space Force Base, Colorado. It was reactivated under the 70th I ...

, Group Staff & Detachment 5, Peterson AFB, Colorado; D the 533d Training Squadron,

381st Training Group The United States Air Force 381st Training Group at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California provides training for the United States Air Force's intercontinental ballistic missile forces and missile maintenance forces. This Air Education and Train ...

, Vandenberg AFB, CA (initial training); the

Air Force Research Laboratory The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is a scientific research organization operated by the United States Air Force Materiel Command dedicated to leading the discovery, development, and integration of aerospace warfighting technologies, p ...

(AFRL) Research Lab Mission Execution, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio*; the AFRL Space Vehicles Directorate, Kirtland AFB, New Mexico*; the AFRL Rocket Propulsion Division, Edwards AFB, CA; the AFRL Electro-Optical Division, Maui, Hawaii & Kirtland AFB, New Mexico*; the AFRL Sensors Directorate, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio*; the Counter-Space Analysis Squadron and the Space Analysis Squadron, collectively half of the

Space and Missiles Analysis Group The Space and Missiles Analysis Group is a unit of the National Air and Space Intelligence Center that develops space and counterspace threat assessments and assesses foreign land-based ballistic missile systems with ranges of and greater. Unit ...

National Air and Space Intelligence Center The National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC) is the United States Air Force unit for analyzing military intelligence on foreign air and space forces, weapons, and systems. NASIC assessments of aerospace performance characteristics, ca ...

, both at Wright-Patterson AFB; the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center Detachment 4, Peterson AFB, CO; and the Air Force Safety Center – Space Safety Division, Kirtland AFB, New Mexico. Detachment 1, USAF Warfare Center, Schriever AFB, Colorado; Operating Location A, 705th Combat Training Squadron, Schriever AFB, Colorado (ultimately part of the 505th Command and Control Wing), and the

National Security Space Institute The National Security Space Institute (NSSI) is a unit in the United States Space Force's Space Training and Readiness Command (STARCOM). Headquartered at Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado, it provides space professional military education to ...

, Peterson AFB, C
National Security Space Institute, a place for space education
became eventually part of the STAR Delta. In September 2021 it was announced the 53rd Signal Battalion, the U.S. Army Satellite Operations Brigade, and the Naval Satellite Operations Center would be transferred to Space Force.

Heraldry

Each unit in the Space Force has an emblem in a shape depending on the unit type. Each of the three field commands also have a distinctive color: Platinum Grey for SpOC, Gold for SSC, and Cannes Blue for STARCOM. Unit emblems are trimmed with the color of the field command to which they report. Space Force personnel assigned to

National Reconnaissance Office The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) is a member of the United States Intelligence Community and an agency of the United States Department of Defense which designs, builds, launches, and operates the reconnaissance satellites of the U.S. ...

roles will wear insignia trimmed in Black.

References

{{United States Space Force Units and formations of the United States Space Force Military organizational structures United States Department of Defense lists