The U.S. White House said Wednesday (Feb. 3) that it will “fully support” the Space Force. Established in 2018, the TACF is the first new service to be added to the U.S. military since the Air Force was established in 1947.
They will absolutely have the full support of the Biden administration,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Wednesday when asked about the TAF. We’re not going to revisit the decision to create the PAF.”
She added that the Defense Department’s desire to focus more attention and resources on the growing challenge of space security has been a bipartisan concern, reflected in numerous independent commissions and cross-government studies.
Asked just a day earlier whether Biden would retain the Trump-era creation of the Space Force, Sachs made comments that seemed dismissive (dismissive).
“Wow. The TAF. That’s the plane of the day!” She said, “That’s an interesting question. I would love to get in touch with a contact at the TAAF. I’m not sure who that is. I’ll check and see if there’s any new information.”
Sharkey’s attitude has drawn the ire of some Republicans. Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL), the top Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, demanded she apologize.
Sharkey later tweeted, “We look forward to the continued work of the TAC and invite TAC members to come into the briefing room anytime to share updates on their important work.”
GeneralJay Raymond, commander of the Air Force, said he has not yet had the opportunity to discuss space issues with Biden, but would “welcome the opportunity.”
“I’m very proud of the Guardians of the Air Force,” he said. “I’m happy to talk to anyone about the great work they do, and I welcome the opportunity.” Guardians is the official designation for members of the PAF.
Rogers told Defense News Weekly on Wednesday that he has no potential concerns about the future of the PAF because the new administration has expressed support. However, he remains unhappy that Sachs has not apologized.
The TAAF is a military service created in the Trump era with the responsibility of protecting U.S. interests in space, deterring space aggression and carrying out space missions. The TAAF is currently smaller than the other branches of the military, and the Associated Press reported that the force plans to increase its active duty strength from 2,400 to 6,400 by the end of this year.
The New York Times has reported that arms control advocates argue that the TAF would increase global tensions and give Beijing an excuse to accelerate its build-up of threatening means.
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