Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., formally established the Combined Force Space Component Command (CFSCC) in a ceremony Tuesday, celebrating the new command that is expected to serve a major role in the nation’s interstellar defense efforts, the Lompoc Record reported.
The CFSCC, which will have branches at three other military installations, will serve under DOD’s recently established U.S. Space Command and will be led by Maj. Gen. Stephen Whiting. Its stated mission is to “plan, integrate, conduct, and assess global space operations in order to deliver combat relevant space capabilities to combatant commanders, coalition partners, the joint force and the nation.”
The ceremony, attended by military leaders, active-duty personnel and civilians, featured the command’s new flag and an address from its commanding officer.
“I’ve watched the maturity of space operations here at Vandenberg up close for many years, and the next stage of growth is without a doubt the most significant in joint and combined force history,” Whiting said, according to the report.
The CFSCC is unrelated to the U.S. Space Force that has been proposed the White House as the nation’s sixth military branch.
Air Force Gen. John Raymond was appointed commander of the new U.S. Space Command in late August, though that command and the CFSCC have not been publicly acknowledged. However, Raymond said Tuesday it was important to have a ceremony at Vandenberg AFB, particularly with the command’s service members in attendance, according to the report.
Other installations with a major role in the CFSCC include the Missile Warning Center at Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station, Colo.; the Joint Overhead Persistent Infrared Center at Buckley Air Force Base, Colo.; and the Joint Navigation Warfare Center at Kirtland Air Force Base, N. M.
Lompoc Record photo by Len Wood