Information on the 6th Branch of the US Military?

Hi folks! Graduation is next spring, and I'm exploring my post-high school options, including the military. I've been hearing about the Space Force being a 6th branch. Can anyone share more about its purpose and operations?

The U.S. Space Force (USSF) was established as the 6th branch of the U.S. military in December 2019, marking a significant development for the nation's defense. The Space Force is designed to protect U.S. and allied interests in space, an increasingly crucial and contested domain.

In essence, the USSF is tasked with organizing, training, and equipping space forces in order to defend U.S. national interests in space. This includes protecting the country's interests against hostile actions, ensuring the friendly use of space, and providing space capabilities to joint military operations.

As for its operations, a few of the central roles the USSF plays include monitoring ballistic missile launches from foreign countries, tracking space debris that could potentially endanger space missions or satellites, and maintaining satellites so that other branches of the military can effectively maintain and improve communication systems.

Moreover, the Space Force is also instrumental in implementing and maintaining the Global Positioning System (GPS) which we all use in our daily lives – everything from navigation systems in vehicles to time-stamping financial transactions.

Notably, the Space Force is the first new military service in the United States since the Air Force was created back in 1947. Its creation is indicative of the growing appreciation for the strategic importance of space in national security and defense.

If you're considering this path, it would be good to know that it requires a strong background in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics), as well as an interest in space and security matters. There could be opportunities to work as everything from space operations officers – who oversee the launch and tracking of satellites – to intelligence officers and engineers, and of course, supportive roles such as human resources and finance officers.