U.S. Space Operations Command becomes official

U.S. Space Operations Command (SPOC) became official on Dec. 20 after Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett re-designated the Fourteenth Air Force.

Air Force military and civilian personnel previously assigned to the Fourteenth Air Force are now assigned to SPOC. The SPOC supports the U.S. Space Force’s mission to protect the interests of the United States in space. The U.S. Space Force was launched on Dec. 20 when President Donald Trump signed the fiscal year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, officially establishing the USSF as the sixth branch of the U.S. armed forces.

Maj. Gen. John Shaw, former Fourteenth Air Force commander, is now the commander of Space Operations Command.

“It is an honor and privilege to lead the U.S. Space Force’s Space Operations Command. Every day, all around the planet, people count on us to make a difference – to provide a space-enabled combat edge to the warfighters that keep our country, our allies, and our partners safe,” Shaw said. “We will not let them down.”

The SPOC provides space domain awareness, space electronic warfare, satellite communications, missile warning, nuclear detonation detection, environmental monitoring, military intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance, navigation warfare, command and control, and positioning, navigation, and timing, on behalf of the USSF. More details about SPOC will be available in early 2020.