--- title: "The US Space Force Just Deployed Its First Troops" description: "The US Space Force just deployed its first troops — not to space, but to the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar." date: "2020-09-10" modified: "2020-09-10" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/space-force-first-troops" categories: - "Space" - "Space Force" tags: - "space force" - "the digest" - "US military" --- # The US Space Force Just Deployed Its First Troops ![The US Space Force just deployed its first troops — not to space, but to the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.]() *\Image: U.S. Air Force/Kayla White\* ## First Deployment The US [Space Force]() just [deployed its first troops]() — not to space, but to the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. Twenty airmen assigned to the 16th Expeditionary Space Control Flight and the 609th Air Operations Center at the base joined the US military's newest independent arm of service during a ceremony held on September 1, according to [a statement](). "This group is making history," U.S. Air Force colonel Todd Benson, director of Space Forces for U.S. Air Forces Central Command, said in the statement. "Those participating in today’s ceremony are not only joining our nation's newest service, they are joining this service while deployed in defense of our nation. In other words, they are the first members of the United States Space Force to be deployed in support of combat operations." ## Still Grounded The airmen will conduct space operations and space systems operations, from reporting sources of electromagnetic interference messing with US satellites to network logistics. "For our nation, we must not just be present in space, but we must be a leader in space," Benson said. "U.S. Space Command and U.S. Space Force will play a critical role in protecting our Nation’s vital interests in space." The airmen will be donning a brand new uniform, which sports a woodlands camouflage design — rather than one suited for [the blackness of outer space](). **READ MORE:** [The First Members of Space Force Just Deployed to the Middle East]() \[*Military.com*\] **More on Space Force:** *[The US Space Force Is Launching Four Top Secret Spy Satellites]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()