WASHINGTON — The Air Force welcomes the Space Commission’s report and is enthusiastic about the observations and recommendations that determined a realigned and rechartered Air Force is best suited to organize, train and equip space forces.
 
The service is analyzing recommendations, providing inputs to the Department of Defense and developing preliminary implementation plans in response to the Jan. 11 report that was submitted to Congress by the Space Commission.
 
"We are very happy the commission made solid recommendations to improve the way military space is organized and managed," said Brig. Gen. Michael A. Hamel, space operations and integration director, and deputy chief of staff for air and space operations. "I personally believe the recommendations of the Space Commission have the potential to bring about the most profound changes in military space operations and in the role and leadership of space by the Air Force that I have witnessed in my career."
 
The Space Commission was established by Congress last year to assess the organization and management of space activities in support of national security. Among the steps proposed by the report is assigning Title 10 authority and Executive Agency for space to the Air Force, a budgeting mechanism to provide funding visibility and increased integration of space organizations, people and processes within the Air Force.
 
The tools, capabilities, authority and accountability proposed for the Air Force by the commission’s recommendations will challenge the service to bring about the full vision and potential argued for in aerospace integration, Hamel said.
 
The Air Force is working on creating implementation plans to make full-spectrum aerospace integration a reality, he said.
 
"This is a golden opportunity for the Air Force to create a strong center of advocacy and commitment to national security space efforts," Hamel said. "It will really enable bringing true integrated aerospace capabilities for the joint warfighter.
 
"The most important thing all airmen should take away from this is that, after an exhaustive study by a very illustrious panel, the conclusion was reached there is not another service or institution within this nation that can take on the challenges our growing dependence on space means for national security," Hamel said. "That is a huge vote of confidence for the men and women in the Air Force, and the commission’s recommendations will give us the tools needed to step up to that leadership challenge."
 
IMAGE CAPTION: [http://www.af.mil/photos/images/0185a.jpg, 467 KB] A Titan IV rocket lifts off from Vandenberg Air Force Base’s Space Launch Complex-4 East carrying a National Recconnaissance Satellite into polar orbit. (Photo by Airman 1st Class Amanda Edwards)