The United States Space Forces – Central (USSPACEFOR-CENT) is the
United States Space Force component
field command to the
United States Central Command. Headquartered at
MacDill Air Force Base,
Florida, it plans, coordinates, supports, and conducts employment of space operations across the full range of military operations, including security cooperation, in support of the combatant command's objectives.[4][5] It was activated on 2 December 2022.[6]
History
Director of Space Forces, U.S. Air Forces Central
USSPACEFOR-INDOPAC's presence in the
United States Central Command traces back to the director of space forces (DIRSPACEFOR) construct before the establishment of the Space Force. When the Space Force was still
Air Force Space Command, there would be a space operations officer called the DIRSPACEFOR in every air service component command that would advise the air component commander on matters relating to space operations.[4] As such, there was a director of space forces assigned to
United States Air Forces Central.[7]
Col Christopher S. Putman, March 2022 – 2 December 2022[18]
Establishment
Initial plans for establishment of Space Force component field commands started in 2021 when then Colonel
Anthony Mastalir was assigned as director of space forces at the
Ninth Air Force and stand up the USSPACEFOR-CENT. USSPACEFOR-CENT was supposed to be the first Space Force component field command.[4] In November 2021, Secretary
Frank Kendall III approved the creation of Space Force elements in
U.S. European Command,
U.S. Central Command, and
U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, but establishing those elements as component commands required
Joint Chiefs of Staff approval.[19]
By May 2022, plans were changed to first establish the
United States Space Forces Indo-Pacific (USSPACEFOR-CENT) because China being the pacing threat.[20][21][22] Mastalir then returned to Vandenberg and was replaced by Colonel Christopher S. Putman as director of space forces. On 22 November 2022, USSPACEFOR-INDOPAC was established and Mastalir took the helm as its first commander.[23]
Prior to the establishment of USSPACEFOR-INDOPAC, General
David D. Thompson announced that the USSPACEFOR-CENT would be established shortly after the establishment of USSPACEFOR-INDOPAC.[24][25] On 2 December 2022, USSPACEFOR-CENT was established. It is initially composed of 28 personnel and Putman serves as its first commander.[1]
On March 12, 2024, the component field command established the U.S. Space Forces Central Combat Detachment 3-1 (CDet 3-1), tasked with providing command and control for SPACECENT teams in the region that provide space-based capabilities such as missile warning detection, ensuring reliable communications and GPS.[26]
The four-pointed
Polaris taken from the
Space Force seal symbolizes the Guardian Commitment and the service's four values: character, connection, commitment, and courage.
The
astrolabe, an early scientific instrument prominent in Middle Eastern antiquity, represents "terrestrial forces' critical dependence on space capabilities and pays homage to the use of the space-based
Global Positioning System during
Operation Desert Storm in the
Gulf War.
The broadsword, an element taken from the
U.S. Central Command emblem, represents USSPACEFOR-CENT's readiness to fight as "Guardians of CENTCOM".