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Trump Directs Pentagon To Create Space Force Legislation for Congress (wsj.com)

Posted by msmash on from the moving-forward dept.

President Donald Trump signed a directive on Tuesday that ordered the Department of Defense to create a Space Force as a sixth military branch. From a report: With a directive signed Tuesday, Mr. Trump was positioning the Space Force much as the Marine Corps fits into the Navy, officials said, with the result being lower costs and less bureaucracy. The plan would require congressional approval. Mr. Trump is to propose funding in his proposed 2020 budget, and spell out a goal of eventually establishing the Space Force as a separate military department, a senior administration official said. "Space, that's the next step and we have to be prepared," said Mr. Trump, who added that adversaries were training forces and developing technology. "I think we'll have great support from Congress."

The order Mr. Trump signed, Space Policy Directive 4, calls for a legislative proposal by the secretary of defense to establish a chief of staff of the Space Force within the Air Force. That officer would be a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, according to an outline. There also be a new under secretary of defense for space to be appointed by the president. The proposal calls for the Space Force to organize, train and equip personnel to defend the U.S. in space, to provide independent military options for "joint and national leadership" and "enable the lethality and effectiveness of the joint force," according to the administration's outline.

7 of 259 comments (clear)

  1. Maybe not a bad idea... by cayenne8 · · Score: 5, Insightful
    ...at first, I wasn't thinking this was necessary at all.

    But with recent readings about how China really seems to be upping their space game, and apparently looking to set up a base on the moon, this actually might not be a bad idea.

    China is definitely doing military groundwork for space, and we don't want to be caught with our pants too far down.

    And this actually might boost conventional space progress for us...something we've lost over the past decades.

    If you have military $$ behind it, it might give the regular NASA stuff a boost too.

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    1. Re:Maybe not a bad idea... by Vegan+Cyclist · · Score: 5, Funny

      I agree it's a direction to take, but the name.. Space Force. I feel like I'm starting to live in a Mel Brooks film.

    2. Re:Maybe not a bad idea... by lgw · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I agree it's a direction to take, but the name.. Space Force. I feel like I'm starting to live in a Mel Brooks film.

      Why? Air Force; Space Force. It's what the Russians called their agency (well, in Russian).

      When military airplanes became a mature part of warfare, it was time to split off the Army Air Core and make a new uniformed service. These days, the Air Force has a mature group within it that launches and uses spy satellites (and other secret missions). It's enough of a disjoint specialty that a new uniformed service makes sense.

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  2. National Emergency! by DickBreath · · Score: 4, Funny

    Can Trump declare another National Emergency?

    Maybe, now that national emergencies can be handed out like candy and resources reallocated from their intended porpoises to other species.

    A Space Force could help to build the new Donaldson Sphere.

    A Donaldson Sphere is a mega structure that surrounds the earth. Sort of a planetary wall. To keep aliens out. And make the aliens pay for it.

    But it has secondary benefits. While it would keep out all sunlight from the earth, this would result in the need to burn more clean coal for energy. All of those left wing liberal solar panels aren't going to work so well with a Donaldson Sphere protecting the planet from sunlight.

    It's a great plan! What could go wrong? It's a fantastic use of resources. The best resources. The most brilliant plan, I tell you. Trust me. People call all the time saying that we should build the Donaldson Sphere. Believe me. It would be the biggest bestest project that shows how great American truly is.

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  3. Finally ... by PPH · · Score: 4, Funny

    ... a career path for all the space cadets.

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    Have gnu, will travel.
  4. I can't wait to join by Patent+Lover · · Score: 4, Funny

    I'm not sure which color shirt I want to try for at this point. Definitely not the red one, though.

  5. It was a terrible idea from day 1 by rsilvergun · · Score: 4, Insightful

    weaponizing space helps nobody except the Military Industrial Complex. We had treaties to prevent this sort of thing.

    Defense is a moot point now. Pakisitan keeps turning a blind eye to domestic terrorists in India and nothing ever comes of it because the ruling class isn't going to let you and me have another big war and break all the stuff they own. Unless globalism breaks down completely we're done with World Wars.

    You won't see much new research out of this because the point isn't get get ahead of the curve or to defend the nation or even to attack others. The point is to soak up taxpayer dollars and distract from the ever worsening economy. Works too.

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