On Feb. 19, President Donald J. Trump signed a directive to initiate the creation of a new military branch to protect the American people beyond the limits of the atmosphere — a Space Force. The directive, known as Space Policy Directive 4, instructed the Department of Defense to create and send a legislative proposal to Congress to establish a new Space Force under the umbrella of the Air Force.

Moving quickly, on March 1 the DOD unveiled its proposal, which has now been sent to Congress for authorization. On March 26, Gen. John Raymond, current head of the Air Force Space Command, was nominated to lead the newly formed U.S. Space Command if it is approved by Congress.

While the Trump administration’s plans to institute a Space Force have largely been met with skepticism and mockery, and the idea of a “space force” conjures thoughts of alien attacks more commonly found in a science-fiction novel, the DOD’s proposal seeks to tackle potential threats from space that are developed and launched much closer to home.

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Note: This article was published by Westlaw Journal and is reposted with permission.