Air Force Secretary Barbara Barrett

WASHINGTON: The Air Force continues its measured moves to transfer space personnel to the Space Force today by moving 1,840 billets from 23 organizations.

The caveat is that, while the billets are transferred, the personnel will remain members of the Air Force — as senior Air Force officials have previously explained. This is because the service has yet to work out legal procedures for un-enlisting airmen and then re-enlisting them in the Space Force. Affected airmen will remain at their current home bases for the time being. So far, the Space Force still has only one bona fide member — Gen. Jay Raymond, thanks to Congress.

Air Force Secretary Barbara Barrett, working with Gen. Raymond and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein, directed the transfer, Air Force spokesman Maj. William Russell wrote in a news release today.

As I previously reported, Space Force is comprised primarily of former Air Force Space Command units and personnel that were shifted when the new force was signed into law by President Donald Trump on on Dec. 20, 2019.

According to Space Force officials, Russell said, the goal is to have each of the 23 space missions formally transferred from the Air Force into the Space Force within the next three to six months, based on timing and conditions specific to each organization and mission.

“Building the U.S. Space Force represents a top priority for the Department of the Air Force,” said Barrett. “These mission transfers incorporate existing forces into the agile Space Force, which stands ready to defend American and allied interests.”

The Air Force is not planning to force airmen to move to the Space Force; the new service is to be populated by volunteers. Further, according to the Air Force, the status of civilians in the service will remain unchanged.

“As the stand-up of the Space Force continues, additional space missions may be identified for transfer, which will be coordinated and approved by separate action,” according to Russell.

The following locations have been identified for the mission transfer action (an asterisk designates a partial transfer):

  • 17th Test Squadron, Peterson AFB, 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; and,
  • Air Force Safety Center – Space Safety Division, Kirtland AFB, New Mexico.