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Vice President Mike Pence formally swore in Gen. John \u201cJay\u201d Raymond as the new Chief of Space Operations Tuesday at the White House, a U.S. official told VOA.<\/p>\n
Raymond assumed the duties of the first head of the Space Force on December 20, 2019, when U.S. President Donald Trump signed into law the National Defense Authorization Act that officially launched the new force.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Space Force will help us deter aggression and control the ultimate high ground,\u201d Trump said at the NDAA signing last month.<\/p>\n
Officials say the Space Force will organize, train and equip military personnel who primarily focus on space operations.<\/p>\n
Raymond was named commander of the new United States Space Command upon its creation in August of last year. That command, which sought to better organize the U.S. military\u2019s space assets and operations, is being phased out as personnel are transferred to the Space Force.<\/p>\n
The military\u2019s role in space has come under scrutiny because the U.S. is increasingly reliant on orbiting satellites that are difficult to protect. Satellites provide communications, navigation, intelligence and other services vital to the military and the national economy.<\/p>\n
The Space Force is the newest military service branch and will fall under the Department of the Air Force, much as the U.S. Marine Corps is a separate service within the Department of the Navy.<\/p>\n
Officials have said the Space Force will initially include thousands of Air Force service members and civilian personnel currently serving within the Air Force\u2019s Space Command.<\/p>\n
Personnel from the Army and Navy\u2019s space programs also are eventually expected to be integrated into the new service branch.<\/p>\n