Space Force

DECEMBER 11, 2019 / 3:43 PM / UPDATED 4 HOURS AGO
U.S. House approves Space Force, family leave in $738 billion defense bill
Patricia Zengerle | Reuters


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives approved on Wednesday a $738 billion defense policy bill providing the first paid family leave for all federal workers and the creation of a Space Force, a top military priority for President Donald Trump.

The Democratic-controlled chamber voted by 377-48, easily sending the conference report on the National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, to the Republican-controlled Senate, which is expected to pass it by the end of next week.

Trump said he would sign the bill as soon as it passes.

“Wow!” he said on Twitter. “All of our priorities have made it into the final NDAA: Pay Raise for our Troops, Rebuilding our Military, Paid Parental Leave, Border Security, and Space Force! Congress – don’t delay this anymore! I will sign this historic defense legislation immediately!”

The establishment of the U.S. Space Force as the sixth Armed Service of the United States, under the Air Force, fulfills one of Trump’s most high-profile requests.

Despite broad bipartisan support, a handful of left-leaning Democrats and libertarian-leaning Republicans opposed the measure because it did not include policy planks that would have restrained Trump’s war powers, including a ban on support for Saudi Arabia’s air campaign in Yemen.

The fiscal 2020 NDAA also does not bar the Republican president from using military funds to build a wall on the U.S. border with Mexico and lacks strong language that would have forced the cleanup of chemicals known as PFAS believed to contaminate some water supplies.

Those provisions were included in a version of the NDAA the House passed in October, but not in one passed by the Senate. They were removed during months of negotiations with Senate Republicans and Trump administration officials.

Democratic Representative Adam Smith, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, defended the bill, pointing to the family leave policy and other benefits for troops and the difficulty reaching compromise in a bitterly divided government.

“This was not an easy process. This is an incredibly important piece of legislation,” he said.

A provision prohibiting the transfer of firearms export oversight to the Department of Commerce from the Department of State was also removed, clearing the way for a rule change that would allow easier international sales of U.S.-made assault weapons.

MORE MONEY FOR THE MILITARY
The fiscal 2020 NDAA increases defense spending by about $20 billion, or about 2.8%. It includes $658.4 billion for Department of Defense and Department of Energy national security programs, $71.5 billion to pay for ongoing foreign wars and $5.3 billion in emergency funding for repairs from natural disasters.

It increases pay for the troops by 3.1% and mandates 12 weeks’ paid leave so federal workers can care for their families, a U.S. first.

Because the NDAA is a “must pass” bill that has cleared Congress for 58 straight years, lawmakers use it as a vehicle for a wide range of policy provisions in addition to determining how many aircraft or ships the Pentagon can buy or what it can pay the troops.

While this year’s NDAA allows the Pentagon to buy 12 more Lockheed Martin-made F-35 jets (LMT.N) than the administration initially requested, it prohibits the transfer of the F-35 to Turkey.

It expresses a Sense of Congress that Turkey’s acquisition of Russia’s S-400 missile defense system, which Washington says is not compatible with NATO defenses and threatens the F-35, constitutes a significant transaction under U.S. sanctions law.

The bill says Trump should implement sanctions on Turkey over the S-400 purchase.

The NDAA also reauthorizes $300 million of funding for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, to include lethal defensive items as well as new authorities for coastal defense cruise missiles and anti-ship missiles.

Military aid to Ukraine has been at the center of the impeachment inquiry into Trump, after his administration held up security assistance for Kiev last summer even as the country dealt with challenges from Russia.

The NDAA also contains provisions intended to address potential threats from China, including requiring reports on China’s overseas investments and military relations with Russia.

It says Congress “unequivocally supports” residents of Hong Kong as they defend their rights and seek to preserve their autonomy with China and calls for improving Taiwan’s defense capabilities.

Trump did not design their clothes.
#Fakeassnews

What Temple doesn't understand is, that all branches of the military use that same camo, as well as the desert version which is lighter in color except for the Navy which wears the blue versions.

He prolly thinks that the Coast Guard is military too - but it isn't.

Hell, he prolly thinks his shit don't stink, but he'd only be kidding himself.

The Wise And Powerful wrote:

What Temple doesn't understand is, that all branches of the military use that same camo, as well as the desert version which is lighter in color except for the Navy which wears the blue versions.

He prolly thinks that the Coast Guard is military too - but it isn't.

Hell, he prolly thinks his shit don't stink, but he'd only be kidding himself.

My only comment was;

((( AHAA camouflage in space..
''guess they'll be hiding behind Mars space bushes..''

I thought it funny,, you have no sense of humour, sigh,,

Grackle wrote:

Temple wrote:

My only comment was;

((( AHAA camouflage in space..
''guess they'll be hiding behind Mars space bushes..''

I thought it funny,, you have no sense of humour, sigh,,

The only thing 'laughable' is your Trump Derangement .. What you poked out on your own isn't all you posted ..We can read ... Your TDS causes you to fixate on every mindless, petty little thing you find to add your dump on Trump campaign ...as if he has anything to do with those uniforms ..That, or maybe you believe he picked the material and sewed the uniforms together himself ..  

I did not mention one word about trump

I merely said;

((( AHAA camouflage in space..
''guess they'll be hiding behind Mars space bushes..''

I thought it funny,, you have no sense of humour, sigh,,

Temple wrote:

Grackle wrote:

Temple wrote:

My only comment was;

((( AHAA camouflage in space..
''guess they'll be hiding behind Mars space bushes..''

I thought it funny,, you have no sense of humour, sigh,,

The only thing 'laughable' is your Trump Derangement .. What you poked out on your own isn't all you posted ..We can read ... Your TDS causes you to fixate on every mindless, petty little thing you find to add your dump on Trump campaign ...as if he has anything to do with those uniforms ..That, or maybe you believe he picked the material and sewed the uniforms together himself ..  

I did not mention one word about trump

I merely said;

((( AHAA camouflage in space..
''guess they'll be hiding behind Mars space bushes..''

I thought it funny,, you have no sense of humour, sigh,,

Quote :

‘Why do we need camo in space’: Trump’s Space Force ridiculed for woodland camouflage uniforms

Here's why Space Force is key to maintaining America's edge in the 21st Century
By Thomas Ayres | Fox News

China has criticized the creation of the United States Space Force as “a serious violation of the international consensus on the peaceful use of outer space ... a direct threat to outer space peace and security.”

Nothing could be further from the truth. Like Russia, China is waging a propaganda war to deny, distract and blame. We must be clear-eyed and punctiliously truthful in response to such baseless accusations and fear-mongering. The implication of China's statement is that the United States, in forming the U.S. Space Force, is somehow at odds with international obligations or the beliefs and customs of the international community. That charge deserves close inspection.

The familiar phrase “peaceful use of outer space” stems from the 1967 Outer Space Treaty (OST), to which the U.S., Russia and China, among other states, are parties. The Outer Space Treaty does not limit how states organize military forces. It does mandate there will be no weapons of mass destruction or military bases on celestial bodies – neither of which are implied by the creation of the U.S. Space Force.

Further, Article I of that long-enduring treaty states, “The exploration and use of outer space …  shall be the province of all mankind … in accordance with international law.” Article IV reiterates that international law applies to space, expressly including the Charter of the United Nations, which acknowledged that nothing “shall impair the inherent right of individual or collective self-defense.”

In launching the U.S. Space Force, the U.S. has strictly adhered to these provisions and emphasized that our purpose is to preserve and protect the nation’s vital interests, including the safety and security of U.S. and partner nations’ assets in space. Aggression, not self-defense, is prohibited by the treaty. Establishing a space force is not aggression. The United States is not creating a Space Force to fight a war in space. But, the U.S. must be prepared to address aggressive actions of any nation.

History teaches that even when nations agree to high-minded principles, the application of new technology in a modern war are bound only by the words included in treaties, such as the Outer Space Treaty or the Hague and Geneva Conventions. On the other hand, in 1911, civilized nations proposed international legislation that championed the use of the newly invented airplanes for primarily peaceful purposes and further proposed limiting their wartime use to only observation and artillery spotting.

This "agreement" in Madrid was short-lived. By the end of World War I just seven years later, over 4,700 English civilians were killed by aerial bombardment in London alone. That same year, 1918, also saw the birth of the RAF – the Royal Air Force. It took us until 1947 to establish the U.S. Air Force.

As the U.S. Space Force is born, there is no question that the United States abides by the Outer Space Treaty – and agrees to be bound by it in any future conflict.

If past adherence to this and other international legal obligations is any guide, the same cannot be said for China and Russia. Examples abound: China’s debris-creating, anti-satellite test in 2007; China’s actions to build, occupy and militarize islands in international waters, and their complete disregard for intellectual property rights; Russia’s brazen attempted murder on a London park bench and occupation of Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula.

In space, both China and Russia monitor, target and track our military — and possibly commercial — satellites, and continue to develop both ground- and space-based anti-satellite weaponry. Both countries have placed an emphasis on the criticality of space capabilities. In 2015, China established a Strategic Support Force (SSF) consolidating space, cyber, and electronic warfare capabilities to enhance China’s ability to fight in these domains. Similarly, in 2015, Russia consolidated space, aerospace, and air defense into a single entity.

In the 1950s, Russia won the race to launch the first Earth-orbiting satellite with Sputnik. Today, all nations rely on space-based capabilities, an area where the U.S. leads the world. Impairing space capabilities can, in very immediate terms, threaten lives.

By gaining congressional support and creating a U.S. Space Force, President Trump seeks to maintain our technological lead, protect space for peaceful purposes, and avoid another Sputnik moment. And, as we maintain that technical advantage, the U.S will do as we always do – set the standard for compliance with the rule of law.

Looks like 'Elon Musk is far ahead of the 'space force
when it comes to launching
and putting people into space.

Temple wrote:

Trump unveiled the new Space Force logo on Twitter and it's being mercilessly mocked for looking like a 'Star Trek' rip-off

The logo is similar in design to the Air Force Space Command logo, the predecessor to the Space Force.

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-unveils-space-force-logo

The Wise And Powerful wrote:

Temple wrote:

Trump unveiled the new Space Force logo on Twitter and it's being mercilessly mocked for looking like a 'Star Trek' rip-off

The logo is similar in design to the Air Force Space Command logo, the predecessor to the Space Force.

yes, and it is said..
that the emblem was, back then, stolen from Star Trek.
the two are very much alike ..

If there was ever a You Tube that Temple would click on, that could be the one

directorate wrote:

If there was ever a You Tube that Temple would click on, that could be the one

I know he lies when he says he doesn't watch You Tubes, because he's posted quite a few over in the Stuff and Nonsense section.

US Space Force confirms Space Based Infrared System detected missile attack in January
Nathan Strout, Defense News • September 15, 2020

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Space Force confirmed that its Space Based Infrared System satellites were used to detect more than a dozen Iranian missiles aimed at U.S. war fighters in Iraq in January, giving Americans and their partners crucial warning.

On Sept. 15, Chief of Space Operations Gen. John “Jay” Raymond specifically credited space professionals assigned to the 2nd Space Warning Squadron at Buckley Air Force Base, Colorado, with providing that early warning, saving the lives of American and coalition forces.

“They operated the world’s best missile warning capabilities and they did outstanding work, and I’m very very proud of them,” he said during prepared remarks at the virtual Air Force Association 2020: Air, Space and Cyberspace Conference.
.
The Space Force’s next missile warning satellite is one step closer to a 2021 launch

SBIRS is the U.S. military’s primary missile warning satellite constellation. Built by Lockheed Martin, the satellites use exquisite infrared sensors provided by Northrop Grumman to detect ballistic missile launches all around the world. The constellation consists of four geosynchronous (GEO) satellites, with another two payloads riding on host satellites operating in highly elliptical orbits (HEO) to provide global coverage. The GEO satellites include two sensors: A scanner and a step-starer. While the scanning sensor continuously monitors the earth, the more accurate step-starer can provide coverage for theater missions. Each HEO payloads includes a scanning sensor.

A fifth geosynchronous satellite is expected to launch in 2021.

While many observers assumed SBIRS was used to detect the missiles after President Donald Trump credited an “an early warning system” for helping the U.S. avoid casualties, this is the first explicit confirmation that the system was used.

The confirmation comes nine months after the Pentagon claimed Iranian forces launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles against U.S. military and coalition forces on Jan. 7. Reportedly, 10 of the missiles hit Al Assad Air Base, although there were no casualties.

Tensions between the U.S. and Iran had escalated in the days leading up to the attack.

Ahead of a potential attack, the 2nd Space Warning Squadron was able to bring the SBIRS constellation to bear, providing advanced warning of any Iranian missile launches. Raymond specifically credited Capt. Tasia Reed and Lt. Christianna Castaneda with personally planning the SBIRS mission in the lead up to the attack, ensuring optimal sensor coverage of the area.

“This optimization resulted in vital early warning getting to the theater of operations and preserving the lives of U.S. personnel and their partners,” said Raymond

Members of the US Space Force will now be called ‘Guardians’

Soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, and now, guardians
By Ian Carlos Campbell@soupsthename Dec 18, 2020, 7:47pm EST

Members of the United States Space Force will officially be called “Guardians”, according to an announcement Vice President Mike Pence made at an event celebrating the military branch’s one year anniversary.

The organization traces the name “Guardians” back to an old Air Force Space Command motto from 1983, “Guardians of the High Frontier,” according to a short post on the US Space Force website. While a distinct entity, Space Force is part of the Air Force per its establishment with the National Defense Authorization Act.

As it exists today, Space Force is mostly a rebrand of Air Force Space Command, but with the authority to make decisions independent from the Air Force. Space Force personnel also mostly come from the Air Force, but there’s been notable transfers — like astronaut Mike Hopkins — who’ve joined from other government organizations. Unlike Hopkins’ former employer NASA, Space Force is less concerned with exploring space, than it is controlling it and protecting American assets like satellites.

Choosing “Guardians” as an official name comes with some unavoidable (and maybe intended) pop culture associations. There’s Disney’s Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, which introduced Marvel film fans to the “cosmic” side of the Marvel universe. And from the world of video games, Guardians also show up again in Destiny 2 as undead warriors charged with defending the Last City on Earth from alien enemies.

This wouldn’t be the first time that Space Force appeared to be cribbing from pop culture, either. When the organization revealed the official logo, many pointed out its similarities to the Starfleet emblem used in the television show Star Trek. The US Space Force later attempted to clarify that it was inspired by older Air Force Space Command logos rather than the hit series.

Whatever the source of the name, you can count on Space Force being a lot more mundane than any of the pop culture we associate with it. It may be a bit of a branding exercise to satisfy the President, but the Biden administration appears to have no plans to change course. With Space Force and recent work to return to the moon, the US is focusing even more on space heading into the next decade.