"We can do better."

Space Cadets

Nobody is entirely sure why the US Space Force — the youngest, smallest, and weirdest branch of the Pentagon — exists.

Strikingly, that seems to include the service's top general, Politico reports. In an email sent out to all Guardians — the unfortunate name given to personnel — chief of space operations Chance Saltzman voiced his confusion.

"I have some concerns with our current mission statement," he wrote, as quoted by Politico. "My biggest concern is that the mission statement does not reflect why the Nation has a Space Force and the vital functions Guardians perform."

The memo goes to show that there's still plenty of disagreement over the military branch's purpose, which doesn't bode well, considering the Biden administration is requesting a 2024 budget of $30 billion to fund the whole mess.

Guardians of the Galaxy

The Space Force, established by the Trump administration three years ago, has already struggled with maintaining its image and being taken seriously, especially in light of a Netflix-produced comedy TV show of the same name.

According to its current mission statement, which was established in December 2019, the Space Force is "responsible for organizing, training, and equipping Guardians to conduct global space operations that enhance the way our joint and coalition forces fight, while also offering decision makers military options to achieve national objectives."

But Saltzman found the statement was lacking and didn't fully represent the responsibilities of Guardians.

"Guardians deliver capability," he wrote in the memo. "Guardians operate some of the most technologically advanced systems in the world. In doing so, they deter aggression and, should deterrence fail, protect US interests with military force."

"Additionally, our current mission statement is long and cumbersome," he added. "We can do better."

Worst of all, Saltzman's solution to the pesky problem was to crowdsource a new mission statement from Guardians — Spacey McSpace Force, anybody?

Overall, the general's memo seems to demonstrate that the Space Force is still struggling to come up with answers to some very basic questions. And that doesn't bode well considering the sheer amount of resources needed to keep it running.

More on Space Force: US Space Force Says It's "Under Threat" and in "Perpetual Competition" With China and Russia


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