United States Space Forces Central

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United States Space Forces Central
United States Space Forces Central emblem.png
USSPACEFORCENT emblem
Founded2 December 2022; 14 months
CountryFlag of the United States.svg United States
BranchFlag of the United States Space Force.svg  United States Space Force
TypeComponent field command
Role Space operations
Size28 personnel [1]
Part of United States Central Command
Headquarters MacDill Air Force Base, Florida
Commanders
CommanderCol Christopher S. Putman
Deputy CommanderBrian Bracy [2]
Senior Enlisted LeaderCMSgt Jeffery J. Grela [3]

The United States Space Forces Central (USSPACEFOR-CENT) is the United States Space Force component field command to the United States Central Command. Headquartered at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, it plans, coordinates, supports, and conducts employment of space operations across the full range of military operations, including security cooperation, in support of the combatant command's objectives. [4] [5] It was activated on 2 December 2022. [6]

Contents

History

Director of Space Forces, U.S. Air Forces Central

USSPACEFORINDOPAC's presence in the United States Central Command traces back to the director of space forces (DIRSPACEFOR) construct before the establishment of the Space Force. When the Space Force was still Air Force Space Command, there would be a space operations officer called the DIRSPACEFOR in every air service component command that would advise the air component commander on matters relating to space operations. [4] As such, there was a director of space forces assigned to United States Air Forces Central. [7]

List of directors of space forces

Assistant Combined Air Operations Center Director for Space and Information Warfare

  1. Brig Gen Richard E. Webber, October 2001 – March 2002

Directors of Space Forces

Establishment

Initial plans for establishment of Space Force component field commands started in 2021 when then Colonel Anthony Mastalir was assigned as director of space forces at the Ninth Air Force and stand up the USSPACEFORCENT. USSPACEFORCENT was supposed to be the first Space Force component field command. [4] In November 2021, Secretary Frank Kendall III approved the creation of Space Force elements in U.S. European Command, U.S. Central Command, and U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, but establishing those elements as component commands required Joint Chiefs of Staff approval. [19]

By May 2022, plans were changed to first establish the United States Space Forces Indo-Pacific (USSPACEFORINDOPAC) because China being the pacing threat. [20] [21] [22] Mastalir then returned to Vandenberg and was replaced by Colonel Christopher S. Putman as director of space forces. On 22 November 2022, USSPACEFORINDOPAC was established and Mastalir took the helm as its first commander. [23]

Prior to the establishment of USSPACEFORINDOPAC, General David D. Thompson announced that the USSPACEFORCENT would be established shortly after the establishment of USSPACEFORINDOPAC. [24] [25] On 2 December 2022, USSPACEFORCENT was established. It is initially composed of 28 personnel and Putman serves as its first commander. [1]

Heraldry

Emblem

The USSPACEFORCENT emblem has for elements: [26]

List of commanders

No.CommanderTermRef
PortraitNameTook officeLeft officeTerm Length
1
Col Christopher S. Putnam (2).jpg
Colonel
Christopher S. Putnam
(born c.1970)
2 December 2022Incumbent1 year, 62 days [18]

See also

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthony Mastalir</span> U.S. Space Force officer

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Space Forces Indo-Pacific</span> Military unit

The United States Space Forces Indo-Pacific (USSPACEFOR-INDOPAC) is the United States Space Force component field command to the United States Indo-Pacific Command. It plans, coordinates, supports, and conducts employment of space operations across the full range of military operations, including security cooperation, in support of the combatant command's objectives. It was activated on 22 November 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Space Forces Korea</span> Space Force component field command to the U.S. Forces Korea

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Space Forces Europe and Africa</span> Military unit

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">65th Cyberspace Squadron</span> U.S. Space Force unit

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Space Forces – Space</span> Military unit

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