Speaking at the second annual Spacepower Conference, Dec. 10 in Orlando, Saltzman emphasized the Space Force has come a long way since its inception, with nearly 15,000 military and civilian personnel now serving the organization. This represents a monumental administrative feat as the service has approximately tripled in size every year since its inception in 2019.

"We are here today because of you and people like you who accepted the uncertainty of a novel endeavor. The challenge of breaking the old to forge something new," Saltzman said. "It wasn't easy then, and it isn't easy now. There are a lot of challenges we are still working through... but we are here. The Space Force is here."

Despite challenges, the Space Force has made significant strides, absorbing and becoming singularly responsible for critical missions such as satellite communications, missile warning and weather forecasting. In the past five years, the organization has stood up Field Commands, activated Service Components, and built out institutions for the design, development, generation, and employment of space forces

Saltzman also emphasized the Space Force is not just a support element; it's a military service with a unique and critical role conducting warfighting operations.

"Space is a geographic region that the Unified Command Plan defines from 100 kilometers up out to infinity, and it's increasingly populated by other nations, commercial entities, civil agencies, academic institutions and so on," Saltzman explained. "If space is a warfighting domain, and we are a military service dedicated to it, then Guardians have an obligation to contest and control that region, making it safe, secure and stable."

Serving as the throughline of his speech, Saltzman outlined six 'Space Force truths' that define the service and the Guardian identity:

1. USSF capabilities are critical to the Joint Force and the American way of life.

2. The USSF must defend its capabilities, or the Joint Force will be unable to project power.

3. The USSF must protect the Joint / Combined Force from space-enabled targeting.

4. Space is a warfighting domain.

5. The USSF is responsible for organizing, training, equipping, and operating space capabilities.

6. Guardians are uniquely trained for warfighting in, from, and to space.

These truths, Saltzman said, are non-negotiable and form a common thread among Guardians. They connect the organization's members, regardless of their backgrounds or positions, as part of something far bigger than themselves.

"Not only are Guardians warfighters in space - Guardians are the only warfighters with the unique, career-long specific training, education, and experience required to achieve space superiority," Saltzman explained. "Other services have space operators, and they certainly contribute to the fight in space, they certainly have equity in the domain, but only the Space Force grows its Guardians from day one to be space warfighters."

As the Space Force looks to the future, Saltzman encouraged Guardians to be unapologetic about these truths and to embody the Guardian identity. "We still have a lot of education to do - even within our service, there are people who don't fully understand," Saltzman noted. "But the only way we're going to make progress is if we embody our Guardian identity and act as one."

During a brief fireside chat following his keynote, Saltzman also spoke about the Space Force's plans to streamline part-time Guardians in 2025, and the service's lessons learned within four broad categories - force design, force development, force generation and force employment.

"We have all of the components of each of those categories in place ... they're working now, but I think we just have to get them right," Saltzman said. "Document them, get the reps and sets so that we fully understand and continue to refine what we already have in place."

With its fifth birthday on the horizon, the Space Force has much to celebrate. With its own identity, and an important mission, Guardians should reflect on the outstanding progress the service has made in becoming the best space-minded warfighters in the world.

The full remarks by CSO Gen. Chance Saltzman at the 2024 Space Force Association's Spacepower Conference can be found here

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