Director of Space Forces, United States Air Forces Central Command emblem (until 2022)
| United States Space Forces – Central | |
|---|---|
USSPACEFOR-CENT emblem
| |
| Founded | 2 December 2022; 19 months |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Space Force |
| Type | Component field command |
| Role | Space operations |
| Size | 28 personnel[1] |
| Part of | United States Central Command |
| Headquarters | MacDill Air Force Base, Florida |
| Commanders | |
| Commander | Col Christopher S. Putman |
| Deputy Commander | Brian Bracy[2] |
| Senior Enlisted Leader | CMSgt Jeffery J. Grela[3] |
The United States Space Forces – Central (USSPACEFOR-CENT) is the United States Space Force component field command to the United States Central Command. Headquartered at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, it plans, coordinates, supports, and conducts employment of space operations across the full range of military operations, including security cooperation, in support of the combatant command's objectives.[4][5] It was activated on 2 December 2022.[6]
USSPACEFOR-INDOPAC's presence in the United States Central Command traces back to the director of space forces (DIRSPACEFOR) construct before the establishment of the Space Force. When the Space Force was still Air Force Space Command, there would be a space operations officer called the DIRSPACEFOR in every air service component command that would advise the air component commander on matters relating to space operations.[4] As such, there was a director of space forces assigned to United States Air Forces Central.[7]
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Assistant Combined Air Operations Center Director for Space and Information Warfare
Directors of Space Forces
Initial plans for establishment of Space Force component field commands started in 2021 when then Colonel Anthony Mastalir was assigned as director of space forces at the Ninth Air Force and stand up the USSPACEFOR-CENT. USSPACEFOR-CENT was supposed to be the first Space Force component field command.[4] In November 2021, Secretary Frank Kendall III approved the creation of Space Force elements in U.S. European Command, U.S. Central Command, and U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, but establishing those elements as component commands required Joint Chiefs of Staff approval.[19]
By May 2022, plans were changed to first establish the United States Space Forces Indo-Pacific (USSPACEFOR-CENT) because China being the pacing threat.[20][21][22] Mastalir then returned to Vandenberg and was replaced by Colonel Christopher S. Putman as director of space forces. On 22 November 2022, USSPACEFOR-INDOPAC was established and Mastalir took the helm as its first commander.[23]
Prior to the establishment of USSPACEFOR-INDOPAC, General David D. Thompson announced that the USSPACEFOR-CENT would be established shortly after the establishment of USSPACEFOR-INDOPAC.[24][25] On 2 December 2022, USSPACEFOR-CENT was established. It is initially composed of 28 personnel and Putman serves as its first commander.[1]
On March 12, 2024, the component field command established the U.S. Space Forces Central Combat Detachment 3-1 (CDet 3-1), tasked with providing command and control for SPACECENT teams in the region that provide space-based capabilities such as missile warning detection, ensuring reliable communications and GPS.[26]
Emblems of United States Space Forces – Central and its predecessors
The USSPACEFOR-CENT emblem has for elements:[27]
| No. | Commander | Term | Ref | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | Name | Took office | Left office | Term Length | ||
| 1 |
| Colonel Christopher S. Putnam (born c. 1970) | 2 December 2022 | Incumbent | 1 year, 226 days | [18] |
