Space is one of the five dimensions of warfare – land, air, sea, and cyber being the others.
Its importance to America’s national security increases constantly.
President Ronald Reagan was a visionary.
He "got this," and created the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI).
Likewise, President Donald Trump understood this and created the Space Force during his first term. In doing so, the president declared, "The Space Force will help us deter aggression and control the ultimate high ground."
Both Reagan and Trump also shared a keen appreciation and understanding of the role the "citizen soldier" plays in our nation’s defense.
In fact, in 1984 President Reagan received the National Guard Association of the United States' (NGAUS) highest honor — The Harry S. Truman Award.
President Trump personally attended NGAUS' annual conferences in both 2016 and 2024.
At last year’s conference in Detroit, Michigan, he said, "As president, I will sign historic legislation creating a Space National Guard."
The space domain may prove to be one of the most critical battlefields in the era of Great Power competition with communist China.
Ensuring we have the best and brightest space professionals serving in our military will be critical to our success in this domain. This is precisely why President Trump is right in supporting the creation of the Space National Guard.
The community of space professionals in our military is small — numbering just 16,000 in the U.S. Space Force and another 1,000 or so in the Air National Guard.
Despite their size, the role this community plays in defending the space domain and in electronic warfare is unmatched.
It’s ability to maintain such a pronounced role in our national security is largely thanks to President Trump’s decision to establish a Space Force (USSF) in 2019, which consolidated existing space capabilities from across the defense enterprise into a single service.
Unfortunately, the legislation which created the Space Force didn’t address the question surrounding its combat reserve.
This has left approximately 1,000 Air National Guard space professionals orphaned from their parent service, and without a clear path forward.
These Guard members are some of the most highly trained in our military, providing 60% of the USSF’s offensive EW (electronic warfare) deployable capabilities across seven states.
Many have deployed to sensitive areas globally with their active-duty counterparts.
The Biden administration’s Pentagon opposed the creation of the Space National Guard and tried to fix this problem by implementing a new, untested single component structure, instead of following the successful National Guard model we’ve deployed for centuries.
Understandably, Guard members understandably haven’t bought into it.
Surveys show only eight percent our ANG (Air National Guard) space professionals would accept a transfer to USSF.
This would leave a major gap in our space capabilities should the Biden Pentagon’s plan (which some are still trying to implement) to forcibly integrate these units go through. That’s a risk we can’t afford to take in a critical warfighting domain.
Keep in mind it can take as many as eight years to go from "zero to hero" in space operations. These are highly talented, expertly trained professionals who can’t be grown overnight. Many also work in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields in the private sector and would prefer to continue their careers while serving in their communities.
The establishment of a Space National Guard would offer them the opportunity to continue to serve part time while pursuing their civilian careers.
Recently, strong bipartisan legislation known as the Space National Guard Establishment Act, was introduced by Sens. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, and John Hickenlooper, D-Colo.
Additionally, companion bipartisan legislation was introduced in the U.S. House.
As Sen. Crapo said, "Establishing a Space National Guard will better prepare and streamline the work of our existing space personnel to maintain readiness to respond to and thwart attacks from our adversaries."
Also, in a move rarely seen in this political environment, the National Governor’s Association released a statement that Governors from all 55 states and territories expressed alarm that some are still advocating for the prior administration’s plan to remove Guard units from the States without the legally required consent.
President Trump, the numerous Democratic and Republican House and Senate co-sponsors of the Space National Guard Establishment Act, and our nation’s governors have it right.
They understand the importance of the "citizen soldier" for our nation's defense, the successful National Guard model serving America well for many years, and the role of the States in keeping our people safe.
The role of Space in America’s security will only increase in the coming years.
President Trump was wise to create the Space Force.
He was right when he declared last year, "The time has come to create a Space National Guard as the primary combat reserve of the U.S. Space Force."
The Space National Guard is needed now.
Van Hipp is Chairman of American Defense International, Inc. He’s the former deputy assistant secretary of the U.S. Army and author of "The New Terrorism: How to Fight It and Defeat It." He is the 2018 recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Sept. 11 Garden Leadership Award for National Security. Read Van Hipp's Reports — More Here.
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