Structure of the United States Space Force
The United States Space Force includes the Space Staff, the field commands, space deltas, and squadrons.
The Space Force is organized as one of two coequal military service branches within the Department of the Air Force, the other being the United States Air Force. Both services are overseen by the Secretary of the Air Force, who has overall responsibility for organizing, training, and equipping the Air Force and Space Force.[1]
The military head of the Space Force is the chief of space operations (CSO), who is an officer in the grade of general.
Space Staff
[edit]
The Space Staff is the headquarters of the U.S. Space Force. Like the U.S. Air Force's Air Staff that is under the Department of the Air Force, it is overseen by the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force. It is responsible for developing doctrine, guidance, and plans in performing the Space Force's functions, cooperating with the Air Staff on support issues. It is composed of the military service's most senior leaders: the chief of space operations, the vice chief of space operations, and the chief master sergeant of the Space Force. Like the other services, there is a director of staff who oversees the synchronization of policies and plans of the headquarters staff and four deputy chiefs of space operations.[2] The Space Staff was designed to be lean. Compared to the Air Force's nine headquarters directorates, the Space Force merged nine functional areas into four directorates.[2] Additionally, each of the four deputy chiefs of space operations has unofficial positional titles akin to that of corporate organizations: chief human capital officer, chief operations officer, chief technology and innovation officer, and chief strategy and resourcing officer. The chief human capital officer and chief technology and innovation officer positions are held by senior civilian officials at the SES-3 level, while both the chief operations officer and chief strategy and resourcing officer positions are filled by two lieutenant generals.[3]
Chief of Space Operations (CSO): Gen B. Chance Saltzman
Vice Chief of Space Operations (VCSO): Gen Shawn N. Bratton
Director of Staff: Brig Gen Shariful M. Khan, USAF[4]
- Deputy Director of Staff: Justin W. Phillips[5]
- DCSO for Personnel (S1): Katharine Kelley[6]
- Assistant DCSO for Personnel: Todd L. Remington[7]
- DCSO for Intelligence (S2): Maj Gen Brian D. Sidari
- Assistant DCSO for Intelligence: Ed Mornston[8]
- DCSO for Operations (S3/4/7/10): Lt Gen Douglas Schiess
- Assistant DCSO for Operations: Brig Gen Nick Hague
- Associate DCSO for Operations:
- Assistant DCSO for Installations and Logistics: Kathryn Kolbe
- Mobilization Assistant to the DCSO: Col Nathan D. Yates, USAF[9]
- Assistant DCSO for Operations: Brig Gen Nick Hague
- DCSO for Strategy, Plans, Programs, Requirements, and Analysis (S5/8): Lt Gen David N. Miller
- Assistant DCSO for Strategy, Plans, Programs, Requirements, and Analysis: Jessica P. Powers[10]
- Director of Plans and Programs (S8): Brig Gen Christopher A. Fernengel
- Mobilization Assistant to the DCSO: Brig Gen Damon S. Feltman, USAF
- Assistant DCSO for Strategy, Plans, Programs, Requirements, and Analysis: Jessica P. Powers[10]
- DCSO for Cyber and Data (S6): Charleen D. Laughlin[11]
- Assistant Cyber and Data: Col Nathan L. Iven[12]
- Associate DCSO for Future Concepts and Partnerships: AM Paul Godfrey, RAF
- Mobilization Assistant to the CSO: Maj Gen Robert W. Claude, USAF
Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force (CMSSF): CMSSF John F. Bentivegna
.png){kind=small}
Direct reporting units
[edit]| Direct reporting unit | Headquarters | Director |
|---|---|---|
 Space Development Agency (SDA) | Washington, District of Columbia | Gurpartap Sandhoo[13] |
 Space Rapid Capabilities Office (SpRCO) | Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico | Natahan Dalrymple (acting)[14] |
Field organization
[edit]The Space Force field organization consist of three different echelons of command: field commands, deltas, and squadrons.[15] General information about military units:[16]
- a section consists of two or more guardians, this is also referred to as an "element" in basic training
- a flight comprises Individual guardians or sections
- two or more flights form a squadron (commanded by major or lieutenant colonel) — the lowest level of command, usually identified by number and function
- two or more squadrons form a delta (commanded by colonel); there are three types of deltas:
- mission delta is responsible for an entire mission set for the service
- space base delta is responsible for base support on Space Force bases
- space launch delta is responsible for both base support and the launch mission for its Space Force base
- field commands (commanded by major general or lieutenant general) are responsible for organizing, training and equipping thousands of guardians around the world; a field command is organized by mission, such as Space Training and Readiness Command, and reports directly to headquarters at the Pentagon
- service component field commands (commanded by colonel or brigadier general) integrate Space Force capabilities with other service branches and combatant commands, serving as the bridge between the Space Force and the broader joint military structure; they are organized under the combatant command they support
Field Command
[edit]Field commands (FLDCOMs) align with specific mission focuses and are led by officers in the grade of lieutenant general or major general, comparable to the United States Air Force's major command. The Space Force's three field commands are Combat Forces Command (CFC), Space Systems Command (SSC), and Space Training and Readiness Command (STARCOM).
 Denotes planned unit but not yet activated.
Combat Forces Command
[edit].jpg)
The Combat Forces Command (CFC) is the primary force provider of space forces and capabilities. It is responsible for the organization, training, equipping, command and control, and employment of space forces to support operational plans and missions for U.S. combatant commanders. It is headquartered at Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado.[24]
Established on 21 October 2020, SpOC was the first field command activated. It was established by the redesignation of the headquarters of the former Air Force Space Command to Space Operations Command. It was composed of the 10 deltas and two garrisons activated on 24 July 2020. This included the Space Training and Readiness Delta (Provisional) which served as the interim unit for space training and education until the August 2021 stand-up of a full field command. SpOC also maintained command of the two launch wings, which were later redesignated as launch deltas in 2021, previously under the Air Force Space Command until the establishment of the Space Systems Command. It was redesignated as Combat Forces Command on November 3, 2025.[25]
The 14th Air Force in Vandenberg Space Force Base, California that was temporarily redesignated Space Operations Command upon the creation of the Space Force was inactivated. A new unit, Space Operations Command West (SpOC West), was activated to serve as headquarters of the Combined Force Space Component Command (CFSCC), a subordinate command of the United States Space Command. The SpOC West commander also served as the commander of CFSCC and as the deputy commander of SpOC.
Space Systems Command
[edit]
The Space Systems Command (SSC) is becoming responsible for developing, acquiring, and fielding space systems, as well as launch, sustainment, and maintenance of space systems. It also advises Space Force science and technology activities.
The Space Force, on 8 April 2021, announced the planned structure of the SSC. Led by a lieutenant general, SSC was to be formed by redesignating the Space and Missile Systems Center, Commercial Satellite Communications Office, and other space systems programs offices transferred into the Space Force, being stood up in summer 2021. On July 29, Michael Guetlein was confirmed as its first commander by the United States Senate.[26][27] The ceremony installing him in command of the new SSC was held August 13, 2021.[28]
Under the new structure, the two launch deltas previously under SpOC were reassigned to SSC under the oversight of the SSC deputy commander. The commander of the Space Launch Delta 45 will take on additional duties as the field command's director of operations.[26]
Space Training and Readiness Command
[edit]
The Space Training and Readiness Command was planned to train and educate space professionals, develop combat-ready space forces, and additionally taking on the roles of integrated testing and on-orbit checkout. Initially, before the activation of the command, a Space Training and Readiness Delta was established in July 2020 at Peterson SFB.[15] STARCOM was activated on 23 August 2021, led by a major general.[29] Five subordinate deltas then began being established: one each for training, doctrine and lessons learned, range and aggressor, test and evaluation, and education.[29]
Delta
[edit]The Space Force has no command echelon equivalent of the U.S. Air Force′s numbered air forces,[30] so the next command echelon below field commands is the delta, a single level of command which combines the wing and group command echelons found in the U.S. Air Force.[30] Each delta is organized around a specific function, such as operations, installation support, or training, and is led by an officer in the grade of colonel.[15][30] Space Deltas are operational organizations, but have no responsibility for base support, which is either the Air Force′s responsibility,[30] or that of the Space Base Deltas, the former Garrisons.
The first 11 deltas in the Space Force initially were assigned to the Space Operations Command. Of those, two were realigned under the Space Systems Command, and the Space Training and Readiness Delta (Provisional) became a separate field command.
| Delta | Headquarters | Current commander |
|---|---|---|
| Field Operating Agency | ||
 National Space Intelligence Center (NSIC)[31] | Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio | Col Patrick Hamlin |
| USSF Combat Forces Command | ||
 Mission Delta 2 – Space Domain Awareness and Space Battle Management (MD 2)[32] | Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado | Col Barry A. Croker |
 Mission Delta 3 – Space Electromagnetic Warfare (MD 3) | Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado | Col Angelo Fernandez |
 Mission Delta 4 – Missile Warning and Tracking (MD 4)[32] | Buckley Space Force Base, Colorado | Col Brandon Davenport |
 Mission Delta 6 – Space Access and Cyberspace Operations (MD 6)[33] | Schriever Space Force Base, Colorado | Col Maxwell E. Fuldauer |
 Space Delta 7 – Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance [34] (DEL 7) | Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado | Col Nathaniel A. Peace |
 Mission Delta 8 – Satellite Communication (MD 8)[34] | Schriever Space Force Base, Colorado | Col Kara Sartori |