USSF

The USSF, or United States Space Force, is the space military branch of Humanity's primary superpower. Though it began as a controversial move by a controversial president, as space has become more important to the world the USSF rapidly became the most important and most powerful organization on Earth. They currently receive hundreds of billions in funding, a significant portion of government power, operated thousands of space-faring vessels, and monitor dozens of worlds spread across dozens of star systems. However, the large number of colonies they protect also means that they are stretched thin.

Structure

As with all of the Military branches, the USSF is led by the President of the United States as Commander in Chief, followed by the Secretary of Defense and the Chief of Staff of the Space Force. Each solar system is managed by its own System Strategic Command, which is managed by the local Combatant commands to coordinate operations in the spatial regions. Note: a system's placement into a Combatant command is based more on Warp proximity rather than actual geographic distance.
The Space Force is divided further into Eight Major Commands (MAJCOMS):

• the AeroSpace Combat Command (SPACECOM
• the Special Operations Command (SPECCOM)
• the Astronomical Observation Command (OBC)
• the Space Training and Readiness Command (STARCOM)
• the AeroSpace Material Command (LOGICOM)
• the Planetside Deployment Command (PDC)
• the Interstellar Communication Command (INTERCOM)
• and the AeroSpace Engineering and Research Division (ERD).

These commands operate in unison to coordinate military operations undertaken by the USSF and to assist in the deployments of the other military branches wherever necessary. The USSF tends to work very closely with the Air Force and Marine Corps due to some of their overlapping responsibilities, though the Navy and Army are often involved in extended defensive and offensive conflicts.

Assets

Since the current conflict is primarily concentrated in space, the USSF has taken on the role of the first line of defense against the The Ravens. Consequently they have been given the largest portion of the government's budget and emergency appropriations. Most of the funding goes towards the construction of Orbital Launch Vehicles, Capital Ships, and Orbital Stations. Though significant strides in rocketry, reusable vehicles, and ISRU technologies has made space travel extremely cheap per launch (on the order of only a few dollars per pound), the vehicles still cost millions or even billions of dollars to manufacture. Thus, the USSF has adopted a formation design philosophy (very roughly) analogous to the navy's focus on fighters carried by aircraft carriers. A significant amount of their vessel composition consists of light, small vessels such as the SB-70 Falcon or the F-52 Sparrow. These are stationed in low orbit or on larger vessels that are mostly designed to ferry them between stars. There are a number of dedicated Capital Warships, however.
Most USSF personnel fall into two categories: logistical support from a planet or crew on one of their larger starships. Some also become pilots for light vessels like fighters and bombers. Since space is such a complex domain and the equipment they are working with is so expensive, their training is extremely intensive. The one-year training program that new recruits go through has to teach them the basics of orbital mechanics, mechanical engineering, physics, tactics, and physical training for variable levels of gravity. It is extremely compressed and difficult, but that is part of what makes the USSF such a tough force. Most of their people can claim to be geniuses and accomplished athletes.

History

The United States's space exploration began, like many things, out of a threat. In the 20th century they were one of two major world powers, locked in a cold war with the threat of nuclear war hanging over their heads. In this deadly context, the competition between the Soviet Union and the US turned to space rather than war to show their technological prowess. After the Soviet Union launched the first satellite and first man into space fairly quickly, the US scrambled to catch up. It took nearly a decade, but they gained the lead and successfully landed the first men on the moon in 1969. This was followed by the creation of the first space shuttle and the International Space Station.
By even early in the 21st century it became apparent that space would become an important part of the global balance of power. As it increasingly became a factor in military conflicts, it became clear to officials that a unified space command was needed for their assets. In 2019 a Space Command was established, with a Space Corps under the Air Force being founded a short time later. At first, the organization was criticized for its seemingly small role and high costs (public opinion of the president who proposed it certainly didn't help), but as reaching space became cheaper and easier it also became more economical to put military assets in space. The USSF was forced to defend against other space agencies, and as US exploration broadened to other planets and other solar systems, they became a full peacekeeping force among the various colonies and a defense against other space faring nations. After a number of wars, the USSF grew massively in importance. These space conflicts were horrible and violent, but they are generally recognized to have provided a proving ground for many technologies that are essential in the current war.

Into the Night

Founding Date

August 29th, 2019 (as United States Space Command)

Type

Military, Space navy

Alternative Names

United States Space Command, Space Navy, Space Force, Space Corps

Training Level

Professional

Veterancy Level

Decorated/Honored

Parent Organization

United States of North America

Organization Vehicles

• Courier Drone