Washington, D.C. — Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet joined U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and eight bipartisan colleagues to reintroduce the Space National Guard Establishment Act. The bill would establish a Space National Guard, moving current U.S. Air National Guard and U.S. Army National Guard members performing space-related missions into the U.S. Space Force command structure.
When the Space Force was established in 2019, active-duty service members responsible for space missions were moved out of the U.S. Air Force and placed under the authority of the Space Force. However, no corresponding change was made to ensure that National Guard members working on space also fall under Space Force authority. The proposed legislation would correct this organizational inconsistency.
“In the face of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and China’s saber-rattling worldwide, U.S. leadership in space is more critical than ever. Colorado continues to lead the way with our robust aerospace economy and more National Guard members serving space missions than any other state, ” said Bennet. “By establishing the Space National Guard, we can help ensure our military is ready for the challenges of the 21st century.”
“Creating a Space National Guard would boost military readiness and efficiency. It would also ensure that the Space Force retains needed talent. I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass this common-sense bill,” said Rubio.
The Air Force, Space Force, and the National Guard Bureau have already developed a plan to establish a Space National Guard, but that plan has yet to be implemented. Currently, there are more than 1,000 National Guard members performing space-related duties from within the Air National Guard and organizational problems consistently arise now that all other space service members fall under the Space Force. A dedicated National Guard for the Space Force would help talented active-duty Space Force personnel transition to civilian careers, streamline funding, and allow for better implementation of the mobilization processes, inspection systems, and policies of the Space Force.
Bennet previously joined bipartisan colleagues to introduce this legislation in May 2022 and February 2023.
In addition to Bennet and Rubio, U.S. Senators Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), James Risch (R-Idaho), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), and Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) also cosponsored this legislation.
The text of the bill is available HERE.
