WASHINGTON — A bipartisan push to establish a Space National Guard has resurfaced on Capitol Hill, challenging a compromise reached just months ago on how to structure the reserve component of America’s newest military branch.
Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) introduced the Space Guard Establishment Act last week, seeking to create the Space National Guard as the official reserve component of the Space Force. On the House side, Representatives Jason Crow (D-Colo.) and Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) introduced identical companion legislation.
The effort comes just months after Congress approved the Space Force Personnel Management Act, which eliminated the traditional distinction between active duty, Reserve, and Guard units. The law, passed as part of the Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), allows full- and part-time service members to operate within a single system, providing an alternative to establishing a separate National Guard component.
“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 in a statement supporting the new legislation.
Years-long tug of war
The fight over how to structure the reserve component of the Space Force started soon after the branch was created in 2019. While space operations personnel in the National Guard initially remained under Air Force leadership, the question of their proper organizational home became more pressing after the Air National Guard ceased performing space missions.
The central issue involves hundreds of space-focused Guard personnel currently serving in seven states: Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, New York and Ohio. The National Guard Association of the United States, an advocacy group, has opposed the current arrangement, warning that surveys indicate most Air National Guard space professionals would not transfer to the active-duty Space Force under the existing framework.
Personnel Management Act vs. new proposal
The Space Force Personnel Management Act, passed by Congress in December and included in the FY2025 NDAA, created a flexible personnel system allowing both full-time and part-time service members to serve within a single component. The law permits the transfer of Air National Guard space units to the Space Force without requiring gubernatorial consent — a provision strongly opposed by governors and National Guard organizations.
The new legislation would effectively override this arrangement, creating a formal Space National Guard as the dedicated reserve component of the Space Force. Proponents argue this structure would better retain talent and leverage existing facilities.
Political dynamics shift
Proponents of the Space National Guard expect the Trump administration to support the new legislation. While the Biden administration opposed creating a separate Space National Guard organization, citing cost concerns, Trump expressed support for a separate Space Guard during his presidential campaign.
The bill has garnered additional bipartisan support from Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo), and Rick Scott (R-Fla.).
Path forward
Crow, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, emphasized that the legislation would require “no additional personnel, units, or facilities,” while allowing space specialists to continue supporting Space Force missions.
The push for a Space National Guard now faces a complex legislative path. Given that the Space Force Personnel Management Act was already signed into law, the new proposal will likely need to be reintroduced in the Fiscal Year 2026 NDAA.
