§ 9081. The United States Space Force

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A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.

(a)Establishment.— There is established a United States Space Force as an armed force within the Department of the Air Force.

(b)Composition.— The Space Force consists of—

(1)the Regular Space Force;

(2)all persons appointed or enlisted in, or conscripted into, the Space Force, including those not assigned to units, necessary to form the basis for a complete and immediate mobilization for the national defense in the event of a national emergency; and

(3)all Space Force units and other Space Force organizations, including installations and supporting and auxiliary combat, training, administrative, and logistic elements.

(c)Functions.— The Space Force shall be organized, trained, and equipped to—

(1)provide freedom of operation for the United States in, from, and to space;

(2)conduct space operations; and

(3)protect the interests of the United States in space.

(Added Pub. L. 115–91, div. A, title XVI, § 1601(a)(1), Dec. 12, 2017, 131 Stat. 1718, § 2279c; amended Pub. L. 115–232, div. A, title X, § 1081(a)(17), Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 1984; renumbered § 9081 and amended Pub. L. 116–92, div. A, title IX, § 952(b)(3), (4), Dec. 20, 2019, 133 Stat. 1562; Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title IX, § 922(a), (b), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 3806; Pub. L. 118–31, div. A, title XVII, § 1712(a), Dec. 22, 2023, 137 Stat. 625.)

Amendment of Subsection

Pub. L. 118–31, div. A, title XVII, § 1712, Dec. 22, 2023, 137 Stat. 625, provided that, effective on the date of the certification by the Secretary of the Air Force under section 1745 (probably should be “section 1735”) of Pub. L. 118–31, subsection

(b)of this section is amended as follows:

(1)by striking paragraph (1);

(2)by redesignating paragraphs

(2)and

(3)as paragraphs

(1)and (2), respectively; and

(3)in paragraph (1), as so redesignated, by striking “, including” and all that follows through “emergency”.

See 2023 Amendment notes below.