President Trump on Thursday celebrated the official proposal of a sixth military branch that would be focused on space, tweeting, “Space Force all the way!”
The president’s message, sent from his resort in Bedminster, N.J., came moments after Vice President Pence detailed the plans for the proposed sixth military branch, which requires congressional approval.
The Department of Defense released a report on Thursday detailing the specifics on how it will carry out Trump’s request to establish a Space Force by 2020.
{mosads}”Our adversaries have transformed space into a war fighting domain already, and the United States will not shrink from this challenge,” Pence said.
“History proves that peace only comes through strength, and in the realm of outer space, the United States Space Force will be that strength in the years ahead,” he added.
Defense Secretary James Mattis said the report will reflect a “clear-eyed view” of the project, adding that space is “one of our vital national interests.”
Trump in June officially directed the Pentagon to “immediately begin the process necessary to establish a Space Force as the sixth branch of the armed forces.”
The president has been infatuated with the idea for months, bringing it up at a number of rallies and White House events. Supporters at some campaign events have broken out in “space force” chants at the mention of the concept.
The issue, however, has not gained traction among lawmakers and military officials, and the new proposal will likely spark a fresh fight over where funding for the new military branch would come from.