Space Force wants to embed more guardians into the joint force

Space Force intends to send more guardians to support combatant commands in frontline roles, the service’s new leader said.

In a message to the force, Chief of Space Operations Gen. Douglas Schiess outlined several of his mission priorities for Space Force. Alongside growing the size of the force — Space Force is currently the smallest branch of the military but has goals to double its personnel size — Schiess called for better integrating guardians into the wider force “at scale.” According to the top officer, the service needs to refine how it embeds “combat-effective” guardians into the wider force, and have enough service members in those roles to achieve “space superiority.” 

“We have proven that spacepower produces battlefield success. This means providing effective and well-equipped space forces, in the right quantities, to combatant commands on the front lines, staying ahead of threats through rapid acquisitions, and bringing space expertise directly to the fight no matter where it is,” Schiess wrote.

Space Force leadership has pointed to multiple major U.S. campaigns this year where the branch has played a key role, including Operation Absolute Resolve which saw U.S. forces attack Venezuela and capture President Nicolás Maduro. In the aftermath of that, Space Force set up dedicated command elements for U.S. Northern Command and U.S. Southern Command. In addition, guardians supported Operation Epic Fury, the first phase of the ongoing war with Iran. In April, then-Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman said that the war proved that Space Force was “combat credible.”

“Looking ahead, we must build a sustained pipeline of Guardian talent, tailored with the appropriate training, and equipped with the most advanced capabilities, to ensure the Joint Force is fully powered by space expertise,” Schiess said. 

This month, Space Force also established its component field command under U.S. Special Operations Command, with the goal of institutionalizing “how the Space Force organizes, trains, equips and presents forces for the special operations enterprise,” the service said.

Schiess also cited a need to build up the force’s arsenal of on-orbit weapons. Space Force has been developing various types of weapons systems for “orbital warfare,” ranging from kinetic ones to jamming devices and other electromagnetic warfare tools. Last month, Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink revealed that Space Force already has “space control weapons” in orbit. It was the first disclosure of such weapons, although neither Meink or Space Force elaborated on what kind of weapons they are.