Pentagon Officials Preparing to Launch ‘Space National Guard’

Article by Mark Moore                                                May 5, 2021                                              (nypost.com)

• Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau, told members of the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee on Tuesday that he, acting Air Force Secretary John Roth and Space Force’s commander General Jay Raymond are expected to brief Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on creating a Space National Guard. Hokanson said that the Space National Guard was part of a “two-component construct” that would also include active-duty and Reserve Space Force. The creation of a Space National Guard would come two years after President Trump officially launched the Space Force in 2019.

• “National Guard space units have provided operational, unit-equipped, surge-to-war capability to protect our nation’s vital interests in this contested domain,” he told the Congressional panel. The Air National Guard has space units in Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, New York and Ohio as well as Guam. Hokanson pointed out that National Guard units have been involved with space missions for 25 years, and supply the Space Force with 11 percent of its professionals.

• But some lawmakers questioned the cost of such an endeavor. Committee Chair Betty McCollum (D-Minn.) told Hokanson that she would need to see a cost breakdown, an effort to distribute guard units in all 50 states, and the cross-utilization of existing Air Force facilities. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the Defense Department would have to pick up about $100 million in additional costs of transferring Air National Guard and Army National Guard personnel to the Space National Guard.

Pentagon officials are poised to launch a separate Space National Guard — the

second military foray into the realm since former President Donald Trump established the Space Force in 2019, according to a report.

Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau, told a House committee on Tuesday that creating a Space National Guard is “among my most pressing concerns,” Politico reported.

“I believe we’re fairly close on that,” Hokanson told members of the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee.

He said the Space Force’s commander, Gen. Jay Raymond, and acting Air Force Secretary John Roth back a “two-component construct” that would combine active-duty and Reserve Space Force along with a Space National Guard.

The three are expected to brief Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on the initiative.

The creation of a Space National Guard would come two years after Trump officially launched the Space Force — the first new military service in 70 years.

Hokanson said National Guard units have been involved with space missions for 25 years, and supply the Space Force with 11 percent of its professionals.

“National Guard space units have provided operational, unit-equipped, surge-to-war capability to protect our nation’s vital interests in this contested domain,” he told the panel in prepared remarks.

The Air National Guard has space units in Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, New York and Ohio as well as Guam, he said.

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