United States Space Forces – Central

United States Space Forces – Central
USSPACEFOR-CENT emblem
Founded	2 December 2022; 16 months
Country	United States
Branch	United States Space Force
Type	Component field command
Role	Space operations
Size	28 personnel[1]
Part of	United States Central Command
Headquarters	MacDill Air Force Base, Florida
Commanders
Commander	Col Christopher S. Putman
Deputy Commander	Brian Bracy[2]
Senior Enlisted Leader	CMSgt 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]

History

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

USSPACEFOR-INDOPAC'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 USSPACEFOR-CENT. USSPACEFOR-CENT 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 (USSPACEFOR-CENT) 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, USSPACEFOR-INDOPAC was established and Mastalir took the helm as its first commander.^[23]

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

On March 12, 2024, the component field command established the U.S. Space Forces Central Combat Detachment 3-1 (CDet 3-1), tasked with providing command and control for SPACECENT teams in the region that provide space-based capabilities such as missile warning detection, ensuring reliable communications and GPS.^[26]

Structure

• Combat Detachment 3-1 (CDet 3-1)^[26]

Heraldry

Emblem

The USSPACEFOR-CENT emblem has for elements:^[27]

• The four-pointed Polaris taken from the Space Force seal symbolizes the Guardian Commitment and the service's four values: character, connection, commitment, and courage.
• The astrolabe, an early scientific instrument prominent in Middle Eastern antiquity, represents "terrestrial forces' critical dependence on space capabilities and pays homage to the use of the space-based Global Positioning System during Operation Desert Storm in the Gulf War.
• The broadsword, an element taken from the U.S. Central Command emblem, represents USSPACEFOR-CENT's readiness to fight as "Guardians of CENTCOM".

List of commanders

No.	Commander		Term			Ref
	Portrait	Name	Took office	Left office	Term Length
1		Colonel Christopher S. Putnam (born c. 1970)	2 December 2022	Incumbent	1 year, 149 days	[18]

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to United States Space Forces Central.