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Space Force leaders are still struggling to rebrand an organization that has been lampooned since before its birth. Now, they are conflicted about becoming the military's go-to on what the Pentagon now calls "unidentified aerial phenomena," according to five current and former officials taking part in the discussions. The unclassified summary stated that "we currently lack sufficient information in our dataset to attribute incidents to specific explanations." It also concluded that the unknown craft "clearly pose a safety of flight issue [Does it really?] and may pose a challenge to U.S. national security.[Based on what?]" ...[Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen] Hicks...

The U.S. Soccer Federation's National Council on Saturday voted to repeal its policy requiring players to stand for the national anthem, according to reports. The USSF board of directors scrapped the policy last year, but it still required the approval of the council. ESPN.com and France24 report the decision was approved by 71% of the council.

United States Space Force Logo unveiled !

Here's a first look at the ranks and insignia designs of the new 6th military branch, the United States Space Force. The ranks are right out of Star Trek's Starfleet Command.

Democratic presidential candidates, progressive political action committees, labor coalitions and filmmakers gathered with more than 3,000 activists in Washington this week for the fifth annual (My added link) Take Back America (TBA) Conference. Next week, activists will attend the first U.S. Social Forum (USSF), an offshoot of the World Social Forum, in Atlanta, Ga. Although the events might appear redundant, or even competitive, they reach different niches in the larger progressive movement -- and their outcomes will determine the degree of cohesion with which the Democratic Party's liberal wing enters the 2008 election season. The two events are not jointly...

6/27/2006 - PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. (AFPN) -- Gen. Kevin P. Chilton assumed command of Air Force Space Command in a ceremony here June 26, presided over by Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley. Current and former national defense leaders, active and retired senior officers, community leaders and active-duty servicemembers gathered at the parade field here to welcome AFSPC's newest commander. He succeeded Gen. Lance W. Lord, who retired April 1. General Chilton is the first astronaut to earn a fourth star. He pinned on the rank of general in a promotion ceremony the morning of...

The US Air Force Research Laboratory’s (AFRL) spaceplane-like Micro-X vehicle is to undergo windtunnel-based full-flight trajectory aerodynamic loading trials from the third quarter of this year. The Micro-X is a demonstrator for a reusable second stage vehicle that could be launched on an expendable or reusable first stage. There have been five versions of the Micro-X first stage so far and one of the second stage. Technologies yet to be developed to realise the Micro-X vehicles are reusable auxiliary power sources, accessible and maintainable avionics, non-expendable igniters and coking-free rocket engines. Hypersonic aerodynamic and aeroheating testing of Micro-X vehicles will...

The announcement by the US Air Force that it was radically overhauling the approach being used for procurement of Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) missions (Aviation Week, March 13, 2006) represents not merely a change in a single program’s procurement strategy but the death of an entire philosophy, that of “commercial launch.” Following the loss of the Challenger, the US had to quickly reinvigorate its entire expendable space launch industry. Of necessity, this primarily consisted of resuming production of the same boosters that had been in production for over 25 years. However, within a couple of years of the revival...

ARNOLD AFB -- Enhancing the cooperation between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Air Force makes good sense for the taxpayer and helps get the most research for the available money, according to NASA's top aeronautics researcher and the Air Force's chief scientist. Dr. Lisa J. Porter, NASA's associate administrator for the aeronautics research mission directorate, and Dr. Mark J. Lewis, chief scientist for the Air Force, visited Arnold Engineering Development Center on Thursday to discuss the National Partnership for Aeronautical Testing, a revitalized agreement between NASA and the Department of Defense governing the use of each...

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado – A rapid-turnaround launch system capable of hurling satellites or special purpose payloads into Earth orbit in as little as 48 hours is being touted by a major aerospace firm—Northrop Grumman Corporation. The new concept is being competed in a U.S. Air Force effort to develop quick launch of space hardware. Northrop Grumman’s idea is dubbed the Hybrid Launch Vehicle (HLV), dedicated to reducing launch costs by approximately two-thirds compared to the cost of using a medium evolved expendable launch vehicle. In a statement released today here at the National Space Symposium, Northrop Grumman officials said the...

It’s time to admit that the 2001 decision—in keeping with the recommendations of the second Rumsfeld commission—that made the Air Force the “Executive Agent for Space” has just not worked: not due to any malfeasance or corruption or lack of good will, but simply because the USAF has other priorities. The Air Force is all about airpower. Before World War Two, when it was still the Army Air Corps, its leaders believed that America needed airpower. In the grand scheme of things, they were completely vindicated, and no one more so than Hap Arnold, the Chief of Staff for air...

Over the last thirty years or so the left has tried, with varying degrees of success, to create loud and bitter controversies over various weapons and concepts that the Defense Department wants to create or build. In the 1970s they succeeded in convincing Jimmy Carter to cancel the neutron bomb. In the 1980s they failed to prevent Ronald Reagan from deploying the so-called Euromissiles or in forcing him to agree to a nuclear freeze. In these cases, they did manage to create enough friction so that even when these weapons were deployed the Administration and its allies suffered considerable political...

On May 18th an article in the New York Times set off a thunderstorm of controversy over “space weaponization.” The Air Force is seeking some changes and clarifications to the soon-to-be-released updated version of the 1996 national space policy. This, in fact, left open the door for US space weapons but didn’t do much else. The space weapons fight may have more to do with the politics of liberal think tanks and their fundraising skills than with anything the Pentagon is actually planning to do, at least in the near term. In early 2001, the Rumsfeld Commission, established before he...

For more than a decade, the military utilization of space has become all the more important in warfighting. Since the Gulf War of 1991, using space assets has enabled air, land, and sea forces and operations to be far more effective. Space power has changed the face of warfare. So much so, particularly for the United States, skirmishes of the 21st century cannot be fought and won without space capabilities. That reliance has led to a key action item for U.S. space warriors: How best to maintain and grow the nation’s space superiority and deny adversaries the ability to use...

BAIKONUR, June 2 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's defense minister Sergei Ivanov has confirmed the priority development of the Space Force. "The leaders of Russia and the defense ministry have always paid special attention to the Space Force. I want to confirm the priority and strategic nature of these actions," the minister said Thursday at the parade held to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Baikonur spaceport. Ivanov stressed that the effective operation of the space center largely depended on close cooperation between the Russian military and the Kazakh colleagues. The first earth satellite, the first spacecraft with animals, the first...

It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Col. Aaron Bank. He passed away peacefully this morning, April 1st, 2004 in California. Our thoughts and prayers are with Catherine and the family. He has been and will continue to be an icon to all Special Forces Soldiers. We will pass on the details for his service, funeral, and where to send condolences to the membership when they are provided. Mel Smith Special Forces Association PO Box 41436 Fayetteville, NC 28309-1436 Email: sfahq@sfahq.org Website: www.sfahq.org

GOTTA SEE THIS - War for Enduring Freedom 8/28/02 Kabul, Kandahar, Narizah, Searching for weapons, US SF, B-Team, 82nd Airborne, Operation Mountain Sweep ===================== Kabul =================== In Kabul, at the market. Spices for sale, and water bottled in red. ===================== Operation Mountain Sweep ===================== From Kandahar and Kabul, to Afghan villages in search of weapons. US Special Forces, the B-Team and the 82nd Airborne search out from Kabul and Kandahar, including on Operation Mountain Sweep. In Narizah, 86 miles east of Kabul, Al Qaeda are found. An attack is planned. ===================== Narizah =================== Suspected Al Qaeda are surrounded. 120mm illumination...