Former President Donald Trump on Monday vowed to create a Space National Guard if he is elected commander-in-chief again in November, calling it a critical step in ensuring that America continues to strengthen its military defenses in space.
The remarks, which came at the National Guard Association of the United States conference in Detroit, add another layer of complication to an issue being fought over by military leaders, members of Congress and state governors.
But Trump, who is the Republican nominee for president, vowed to settle the issue and push ahead with the idea.
“The time has come to create a Space National Guard as the primary combat reserve of the U.S. Space Force,” he told about 4,000 group members during a wide-ranging speech. “So as president, I will sign historic legislation creating a space National Guard.”
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In April, the governors of 48 states and five U.S. territories wrote to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin opposing plans to shift thousands of Air National Guard members into the Space Force.
They argued the move, proposed by President Joe Biden’s administration as an alternative to creating a stand-alone Space National Guard, “reduces governors’ authority within their states and territories, and undermines longstanding partnerships, precedence, military readiness and operational efficacy.”
Among the signers of the letter was Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, now the running mate of Vice President Kamala Harris in her bid to win the White House instead of Trump.
NGAUS officials have supported creating a stand-alone Space National Guard and applauded Trump’s promise. They have noted that roughly 10% of current Space Force manpower for operations come from Air National Guard units, and said the lack of a separate Space Force Guard structure ends up “disconnecting” troops from work.
Pentagon officials have opposed the idea, saying a one-time transfer of some Guard missions to the Space Force would be less expensive and complicated than standing up a new reserve force.
In the past, House lawmakers have included provisions creating a Space National Guard in its drafts of the annual defense authorization bill. But this year, the chamber’s lawmakers included language blocking the Air National Guard shift, while Senate lawmakers opted for a new study on force requirements, punting a final decision into the future.
The two chambers are expected to settle on compromise language in coming weeks, with no clear resolution on the issue.
In his speech, Trump called the creation of the Space Force “one of my proudest achievements in my first term” and claimed that because of that move, “now we’re leading in space throughout the armed forces.”
Space Force officials have requested an end strength of 9,800 personnel for fiscal 2025, less than 6% of the total personnel of the Marine Corps, the next smallest Defense Department branch in terms of manpower.
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