Even before he graduated from the Air Force Academy on April 18, Justin Bishop knew the career path he wanted to follow.
“For me, commissioning into the Space Force is going to be an amazing opportunity not only to help establish a new branch of the military but also to learn about and fight in arguably the most important warfighting domain,” he said.
Bishop was one of 86 academy graduates to join Space Force last month, according to a news release.
Created by an act of Congress, Space Force was born on Dec. 20, 2019. It is mandated to organize, train, and equip a force that protects American and allied interests in space.
Air Force Secretary Barbara Barrett told the new Space Force lieutenants that they would not only defend democracy but also the ultimate high ground of space.
"They will be instrumental in building a lean, agile Space Force defending our nation, our allies, and our American interests in space,” she said.
Most of the new lieutenants will work in space operations and will be assigned to Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, where they will undergo further training, the release states.
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Bishop, who is a prior-enlisted aircrew flight equipment journeyman, said that having a career in space operations wasn’t exactly where he saw himself.
“I couldn’t be more excited about this opportunity and the experiences that are going to come by being an officer in the Space Force,” he added.
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About 16,000 military and civilians from the former Air Force Space Command comprise Space Force. Active-duty airmen eligible to transfer into S[ace Force can now do so. Those transfers are expected to begin around Sept. 1.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.
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