Crapo, Hickenlooper Lead Bill to Establish Space National Guard
Washington, D.C.--To enhance the work of active duty United States Space Force (USSF) members with a dedicated unit of space warfighting professionals with specialized space education, training and experience, U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and John Hickenlooper (D-Colorado) introduced the Space Guard Establishment Act. The bill would establish the Space National Guard (SNG) as the reserve component of the USSF, fulfilling President Trump’s promise to do so in his second term.
“Guardsmen and Reservists are often highly specialized and trained individuals tasked with combatting significant threats from global threats such as China and Russia, and those who work on our space capabilities are no different,” said Crapo. “Establishing a Space National Guard will better prepare and streamline the work of our existing space personnel to maintain readiness to respond to and thwart attacks from our adversaries.”
“A dedicated reserve component will make sure our National Guard space experts have a clear path to continue their service to community and country,” said Hickenlooper. “It’s a win-win for service members and our leadership in space!”
"National Guard space professionals are some of the most highly trained and experienced personnel in our military,” said Major General Francis McGinn (Ret.), National Guard Association of the United States President. “For many years, NGAUS has advocated the best way to keep them in the fight is to create a Space National Guard as the primary combat reserve of the U.S. Space Force, similar to how the Army and Air National Guard currently operate with their parent services. The Space National Guard Establishment Act is a commonsense solution that ensures the Space Force won't have to take a knee on readiness. I thank Sens. Crapo, Hickenlooper, and their colleagues for leading the charge on this issue."
Additional co-sponsors include Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Alex Padilla (D-California), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee), Michael Bennet (D-Colorado) and Rick Scott (R-Florida).
When Congress authorized the U.S. Space Force in 2019, members of the National Guard conducting space missions remained under the leadership of the U.S. Air Force, which no longer performs space missions. This has created organizational and communication problems for critical servicemembers.
The Space Guard Establishment Act would retain current talent of the Air National Guard (ANG) and make use of existing facilities and infrastructure to establish 14 SNG units across seven states, including Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, New York and Ohio.
The legislation would override Legislative Proposal (LP) 480, a deeply flawed provision included in the Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act pushed by the Biden Administration, which undermines the National Guard system. It designated National Guard members performing space missions as “part-timers” under a full-time Space Force without the consent of the respective state’s governor. All governors and 125 bipartisan Members of Congress opposed LP 480 on the grounds of the dangerous precedent set eroding Governors’ leadership of National Guard units to maintain readiness and protect America’s communities. If kept in place, LP 480 will result in a potential 94 percent loss of ANG space personnel.
Representatives Jason Crow (D-Colorado) and Lauren Boebert (R-Colorado) are leading identical companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The Space Guard Establishment Act is supported by the National Guard Association of the United States (NGAUS) and the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States (EANGUS).
Bill text is available HERE.
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