America Needs a Space National Guard
A Space National Guard is a good idea no matter who gets elected
Former President Trump suggested the creation of a Space National Guard during a meeting at a National Guard Association Meeting.
No matter who gets elected, a Space Force National Guard would be a good idea.
The American Reserve System is kind of weird. There are basically 4 components
Active Duty - These servicemen serve on active status
IRR or Individual Ready Reserves - They have recently left the military, but can still be called back within 4 years if needed.
Reserves - These forces serve part time, usually one weekend per month and two weeks per year, although they may attend schools that require some time on active duty. They may be activated for federal service as needed as a unit or at an individual level for critical skills.
National Guard - The National Guard grew out of America’s militia system and is a part time force that falls under the Governors of that particular state or territory. They typically serve one weekend a month and two weeks a year, although some servicemen will attend classes or schools which require more time. They can be activated by the state governor to assist with disaster relief or emergencies. They can also be activated by the federal government to serve as federal troops.
A Space National Guard, which acts as a component of Space Delta 7, could interact with National Guard brigades for space support. This could be used during natural disasters to call up satellite imagery or provide additional communication. During wartime, they can be used as space effectors.
The reality is there are already thousands of Air and Army Guard members doing Space Force work, without a corresponding Guard organization to manage recruiting, training, and promotion. Space Guard is a no brainer, and hopefully the new Congress takes it up (after approving more Ukraine aid).
Do you really understand the status differences of a National Guard unit and how that works with an active duty-type mission. As a retired ANG officer who worked numerous years trying to “train” active duty folks on the differences, I am concerned that either the active component will continually run into status issues, or the NG Space folks will “ignore” the status differences and just do the mission. This is a problem the alert forces really ran into after 9-11, for example.