WASHINGTON — The Department of the Air Force has identified 23 U.S. Air Force organizations with space-related missions that will transfer to the Space Force.
The goal is to transfer 23 Air Force units and 1,840 Air Force billets located at bases in Colorado, California, Nevada, Ohio, New Mexico and Maryland from the Air Force into the Space Force within the next three to six months, the Space Force said March 31.
The 23 units that are moving to the Space Force are in addition to the five Space Wings that already were transferred to the new service when it was enacted into law on Dec. 20, 2019.
The 23 organizations and billets will be reorganized under the Space Force but will not be physically moved to a different geographic location. These units will “remain in place to leverage the talent, infrastructure, and key capabilities at their current location,” said the Space Force announcement.
Currently, the Space Force is supported by units that previously fell under the former Air Force Space Command and have been detailed to the Space Force.
Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett, Chief of Space Operations Gen. John Raymond and Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. David Goldfein will work jointly to execute the transfers when “the necessary conditions have been met,” the Space Force said in a statement.
“These mission transfers incorporate existing forces into the agile Space Force, which stands ready to defend American and allied interests,” Barrett said in the statement.
The personnel assigned to these units that will transfer will remain members of the U.S. Air Force who are assigned to the Space Force.
“In the coming months, and when appropriate provisions are in place as part of a separate process, military members who meet applicable criteria will be given the opportunity to volunteer to transfer to the Space Force,” spokesman Maj. William Russell said in a statement. “If they choose not to transfer, they will remain in the Air Force and assigned to the Space Force unit until their normal assignment rotation is complete, at which time they will be moved to an assignment within the Air Force.”
The status of civilians, as Department of the Air Force employees, is unchanged, said the Space Force. “As the stand-up of the Space Force continues, additional space missions may be identified for transfer.”
The following locations have been identified for transfer:
- 17th Test Squadron, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado
- 18th Intel Squadron, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
- 25th Space Range Squadron, Schriever AFB, Colorado
- 328th Weapons Squadron, Nellis AFB, Nevada
- 527th Space Aggressor Squadron, Schriever AFB, Colorado
- 705th Combat Training Squadron OL-A, Schriever AFB, Colorado
- 7th Intel Squadron, Ft. Meade, Maryland*
- 16th AF/Advanced Programs*, Schriever AFB, Colorado
- 32nd Intel Squadron, Ft. Meade, Maryland*
- 566th Intel Squadron, Buckley AFB, Colorado*
- 544th ISR Group Staff & Detachment 5, Peterson AFB, Colorado
- Detachment 1, USAF Warfare Center, Schriever AFB, Colorado
- 533rd Training Squadron, Vandenberg AFB, California
- National Security Space Institute, Peterson AFB, Colorado
- AFRL Research Lab Mission Execution, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio*
- AFRL Space Vehicles Directorate, Kirtland AFB, New Mexico*
- AFRL Rocket Propulsion Division, Edwards AFB, California*
- AFRL Electro-Optical Division, Maui, Hawaii & Kirtland AFB, New Mexico*
- AFRL Sensors Directorate, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio*
- Counter-Space Analysis Squadron, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
- Space Analysis Squadron, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
- Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center Detachment 4, Peterson AFB, Colorado
- Air Force Safety Center – Space Safety Division, Kirtland AFB, New Mexico
