FOR RELEASE: May 1, 2024
CONTACT: Colorado National Guard Public Affairs, 720-250-1050, ng.co.coarng.list.militarysupport@army.mil
States will host a virtual media round table May 3, 2024, at 2 p.m. EST where space operators will talk about their reasons for not wishing to transfer to the U.S. Space Force under U.S. Air Force Legislative Proposal 480 and why establishing the Space National Guard is the most cost-effective and strategic option for our nation.
Transferring Air National Guard space units to the USSF would create a significant gap in space capability for our nation taking 7-10 years to fill while costing taxpayers about $1B.
LP480 would also waive the long-established authority Congress gave governors to consent to National Guard units being removed from their states.
MRT participants include Colorado National Guard Director of the Joint Staff U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Michael Bruno, Hawaii Air National Guard Director of Staff U.S. Air Force Col. Daniel Wrazien, Alaska National Guard’s 168th Wing Operations Group Commander U.S. Air Force Col. Ben Doyle, as well as five space operators from Colorado and Hawaii.
More than 1,000 Air National Guard space professionals based in 7 states who perform or support space missions every day remain unaligned with their natural Active Component mission partner, the USSF, because it lacks a reserve component.
The ANG provides 60 percent of the USSF’s electromagnetic warfare capability and 33 percent of total U.S. space capability and has performed space missions for nearly 30 years.
The National Guard is the primary combat reserve of both the Army and Air Force and is proven and ready.
Integrating ANG space units will align efforts under one Service, reduce bureaucracy, enable common space warfighter culture, and can be accomplished through the transfer of existing National Guard resources.
ANG space units defend our nation on behalf of combatant commanders across various mission areas: missile warning; space domain awareness; satellite command and control; military satellite communications; space electromagnetic warfare operations; space test and training; analysis of space intelligence.