DEFENSE/MIKE PENCE/MILITARY/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Vice President Mike Pence laid out an ambitious plan Thursday [8-9-18] to put President Trump’s stamp on the U.S. military by creating a military command dedicated to space—the Space Force. If established by Congress, the Space Force would join the U.S. Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard and become the military’s sixth branch. It would be led by a four-star commander, the vice president said, and be funded in the fiscal year 2020 budget. ‘We must have American dominance in space,’ Mr. Pence said at the Pentagon before senior defense department leaders and military commanders, many of whom have been skeptical about the establishment of a new military branch. The Pentagon released a 15-page report Thursday outlining a framework for the Space Force. The establishment of the first new military branch since the Air Force was created in 1947 faces a number of obstacles. The creation of a new service requires legislation passed by Congress. The Space Force would likely require its own headquarters, contractors, recruiters, and civilian support, amounting to thousands of new employees. It would demand its own standards for its troops, housing, basing, and potentially a new ranking system. The Pentagon doesn’t specify a budget for the proposed Space Force.”
-Nancy A. Youssef, “Pence Lays Out Plans for ‘Space Force’ Sought by Trump,” The Wall Street Journal, August 9, 2018 2:47 pm