{"id":56650,"date":"2020-02-05T22:19:45","date_gmt":"2020-02-05T22:19:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2020\/02\/05\/space-force-troops-wont-be-called-spacemen\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T09:55:08","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T09:55:08","slug":"space-force-troops-wont-be-called-spacemen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2020\/02\/05\/space-force-troops-wont-be-called-spacemen\/","title":{"rendered":"Space Force troops won\u2019t be called \u2018spacemen\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A decision on the title to be bestowed upon Space Force<\/a> personnel is still forthcoming, the service\u2019s No. 2 general told reporters Wednesday, but the service is moving out on a plan to transfer thousands of current service members into its ranks over the next couple of years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of 16,000 Air Force Space Command<\/a> service members and civilians currently assigned to Space Force<\/a>, the 6,000 uniformed personnel there will become members of the fledgling force this year, Lt. Gen. David Thompson, vice commander of the Space Force, said, adding that the projected end strength will still be 16,000 when transfers are complete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEverybody\u2019s watching \u2014 we can\u2019t build a heavy bureaucratic structure even if we wanted to,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But they won\u2019t be called \u201cspacemen,\u201d Thompson said, though leaders have been doing research on what to call their troops and crowdsourcing ideas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe need to go through a process with Congress to provide authorization for specific individuals to transfer,\u201d he said, adding that the plan is to bring over airmen first, then work on integrating soldiers, sailors and Marines from their respective space units.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That will involve setting up personnel systems, pay and benefits and other processes inherent to a stand-alone service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe also want to make absolutely sure that when these individuals transfer in,that all of that is in place,\u201d he said, to ensure everyone is getting paid on time and things run smoothly as they resign their commissions or end their enlistments with one service and take a new oath with Space Force.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to a plan sent to Congress this month, the Air Force will transfer its personnel into fiscal year 2021, with the Army and Navy starting up in 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\t