United States Space Forces – Space

United States Space Forces – Space
S4S emblem
Founded	6 December 2023; 134 days
Country	United States
Branch	United States Space Force
Type	Component field command
Role	Space operations
Part of	United States Space Command
Headquarters	Vandenberg Space Force Base, California
Commanders
Commander	Lt Gen Douglas Schiess
Deputy Commander	Brig Gen Dennis Bythewood
Command Senior Enlisted Leader	CMSgt Grange S. Coffin IV^[1]

Military unit

The United States Space Forces – Space (S4S)^[2] is the United States Space Force component field command to the United States Space Command. It was formed by combining the Combined Force Space Component Command and Joint Task Force–Space Defense. Its commander also serves as the combined joint force space component commander (CJFSCC). It was activated on 6 December 2023.

History

In 2021, the United States Space Command began thinking about creating a subordinate command that streamlines space operations. Initial plans were to establish a Joint Force Space Component Command by combining the Combined Force Space Component Command (CFSCC) and Joint Task Force–Space Defense (JTF-SD).^[3] On 16 November 2022, General James H. Dickinson, U.S Space Command commander, ordered the creation of the Combined Joint Task Force–Space Operations (CJTF-SO), under which CFSCC and JTF-SD reported. U.S. Army Major General Thomas L. James served as acting commander of CJTF-SO until a three-star commander was nominated and confirmed.^[4]^[5]^[6]

By 2023, no officer has been nominated as CJTF-SO commander. Meanwhile, plans shifted for the Space Force to create a new component field command to U.S. Space Command, the United States Space Forces – Space (S4S). It would be commanded with a three-star officer with the director of staff of the Space Force being downgraded to a two-star billet to make way for it. On 17 October 2023, U.S. Space Force Major General Douglas Schiess was nominated for promotion to lieutenant general and assignment as the first commander of S4S. As S4S commander, he would also serve as the combined joint space component commander (CJFSCC).^[7]

Following the confirmation of Schiess's nomination, S4S was activated on 6 December 2023 by redesignating Space Operations Command West as S4S. CFSCC and JTF-SD were also inactivated.^[8]^[9]^[10] On 31 January 2024, a ceremony presided by General B. Chance Saltzman and General Stephen Whiting was held to commemorate the activation of S4S.^[11]

Structure

Name		Space mission deltas
	Space Delta 5	Combined Space Operations Center	Vandenberg Space Force Base, California
	Space Delta 15	National Space Defense Center	Schriever Space Force Base, Colorado

List of commanders

No.	Commander		Term			Ref
No.	Portrait	Name	Took office	Left office	Term Length	Ref
1		Lietenant General Douglas Schiess (born 1970)	6 December 2023	Incumbent	134 days	^[12]

References

^ Biography: Chief Master Sergeant Grange S. Coffin IV (PDF) (Report). December 2023. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 December 2023. {{cite report}}: Unknown parameter |agency= ignored (help)
^ "U.S. Space Forces - Space". www.vandenberg.spaceforce.mil. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
^ Hitchens, Theresa (15 November 2021). "Exclusive: SPACECOM reorganizing amidst theater component command debate".
^ Erwin, Sandra (16 November 2022). "U.S. Space Command creates new task force to coordinate space operations".
^ Hitchens, Theresa (16 November 2022). "SPACECOM reorganization streamlines command structure".
^ "USSPACECOM establishes a Combined Joint Task Force". Space Operations Command (SpOC). 15 November 2022.
^ "General Officer Announcements". U.S. Department of Defense.
^ Hadley, Greg (12 December 2023). "USSF Creates New Component for SPACECOM". Air & Space Forces Magazine.
^ Erwin, Sandra (13 December 2023). "Space Force reorganizes command structure to streamline operations".
^ "SecAF redesignates Space Operations Command West as US Space Forces – Space". United States Space Force. 12 December 2023.
^ Kitterman, Luke (1 February 2024). "CSO formally activates S4S, Schiess assumes command".
^ "Douglas A. Schiess". United States Space Force.

Oversight	House Armed Services Committee Strategic Forces subcommittee Senate Committee on Armed Services Strategic Forces subcommittee

Field commands	Space Futures Command Space Operations Command Commander Space Systems Command Commander Space Training and Readiness Command Commander
Component Field Commands	United States Space Forces Central United States Space Forces Europe and Africa United States Space Forces Indo-Pacific United States Space Forces Korea United States Space Forces – Space
Deltas	Space Delta 1 Space Delta 2 Space Delta 3 Space Delta 4 Space Delta 5 Space Delta 6 Space Delta 7 Space Delta 8 Space Delta 9 Space Delta 10 Space Delta 11 Space Delta 12 Space Delta 13 Space Delta 15 Space Delta 18 Space Delta 21 Space Delta 23 Space Delta 26 Space Launch Delta 30 Space Launch Delta 45 PNT IMD (P) Space Base Delta 1 Space Base Delta 2 Space Base Delta 3
Squadrons	1st Delta Operations 319th Combat Training 328th Weapons 392d Combat Training 533rd Training 21st Operations Support 15th Space Surveillance 18th Space Defense 19th Space Defense 20th Space Surveillance 3rd Combat Training 4th EW 5th EW 16th EW 23rd EW 2nd Space Warning 3rd satellite Communications 5th Space Warning 6th Space Warning 7th Space Warning 10th Space Warning 11th Space Warning 12th Space Warning 13th Space Warning 55th Combat Training 21st Space Operations 22nd Space Operations 23rd Space Operations 62nd Cyberspace 63rd Cyberspace 64th Cyberspace 65th Cyberspace 68th Cyberspace 69th Cyberspace 645th Cyberspace 71st ISR 72nd ISR 73rd ISR 74th ISR 75th ISR 76th ISR 1st Space Operations 2nd Space Operations 3rd Space Operations 4th Space Operations 10th Space Operations 53rd Space Operations 527th Space Aggressor 1st Test and Evaluation 3rd Test and Evaluation 17th Test and Evaluation 25th Space Range 2nd Space Launch 5th Space Launch 1st Range Operations NSSI
Direct reporting units	Space Development Agency Space Rapid Capabilities Office Space Warfighting Analysis Center

Locations

Space Force Bases	Buckley Los Angeles Patrick Peterson Schriever Vandenberg
Space Bases	Pituffik (Greenland)
Space Force Stations	Cape Canaveral Cape Cod Cavalier Cheyenne Mountain Clear Kaena Point New Boston