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THE ISSUE: S. 963/H.R. 2042, the Space National Guard Establishment Act of 2025.
ACTION: Immediately contact your Congressional Delegation and ask them to support S.963/H.R. 2042, the Space National Guard Establishment Act of 2025.
NGAUS strongly supports S.963/H.R. 2042, the Space National Guard Establishment Act of 2025. This bipartisan legislation would create the Space National Guard as the primary reserve component of the U.S. Space Force.
S.963/H.R. 2042, if enacted, allows for the nearly 1,000 Airmen currently performing space missions in the National Guard to continue to execute these crucial missions unimpeded, while providing the Space Force with surge-to-war capacity and delivering space-trained personnel and capabilities to support domestic operations and natural disasters.
Please contact your Congressional Delegation and urge them to support S.963/H.R.2042.
Background
Despite a 2021 Department of the Air Force Report, supported by over 100 subject matter experts, Congress passed Sec. 514 of the FY2025 NDAA (Public Law 118-159), creating a single component service and allowing the forcible transfer of Air National Guard space assets to the U.S. Space Force. The report, calling for the creation of a Space National Guard by reflagging existing ANG units under the Space Force, reasoned that doing so “reduced strategic risk and complexity, preserved unique capabilities of the ANG, avoided [exorbitant and unnecessary] costs and mission impacts [including recruiting and training costs, mission gaps and creating a cost to the USAF for ANG unit/personnel mission realignment.
Allowing the transfer of Air National Guard units is a clear disregard of Title 10 and Title 32 authorities Congress provided to governors ensuring that no National Guard units are removed from their states without their consent, setting a dangerous precedent of undermining gubernatorial authority over National Guard structure.
Many National Guard members are highly skilled and well-trained professionals with years of experience. They are proud to serve their country from their local communities. This is especially true of our Air National Guard space units. Surveys show 90% of unit members desire to remain in the National Guard and not transfer to the active Space Force.
Eliminating National Guard Space assets is costly and degrades readiness. Air National Guard space assets are currently performing 60% of the Space Force’s offensive space electronic warfare capabilities and 30% of the Nation’s early warning missile defense mission across seven states.
Transferring these assets will result in a significant capability gap and assumption of risk across the total force, taking an estimated 7-10 years for the affected units to recover. Studies have shown that divesting the ANG of space operations will cause approximately 90% separation/transfer/furlough rate. The transfer of ANG space assets would incur a one-time cost of over $750 million and an annual $100+ million annually.
Given the threats we face from adversaries such as China, Iran, and Russia, and we cannot afford to lose valuable experience in the space domain by creating a self-inflicted capability gap. We also cannot allow a military department to circumvent existing law to undermine a governor’s authority, potentially leading to further losses of experienced National Guard Soldiers and Airmen and associated force structure.
On March 11, 2025, Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID) and Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-CO) reintroduced this bipartisan bill to create a Space National Guard. In addition to Sens. Crapo and Hickenlooper, the bill was cosponsored by Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Rick Scott (R-FL), James Risch (R-ID), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Bernie Moreno (R-OH), Jon Husted (R-OH), and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN).
Companion legislation, H.R. 2042, was also introduced on March 11, 2025, by Reps. Jason Crow (D-CO) and Lauren Boebert (R-CO). The bill was cosponsored by Reps. Ted Lieu (D-CA), Brittany Pettersen (D-CO), Joe Neguse (D-CO), Diana DeGette (D-CO), Gabe Evans (R-CO), Jeff Hurd (R-CO), Jeff Crank (R-CO), Cory Mills (R-FL), Ed Case (D-HI), Claudia Tenney (R-NY), Max Miller (R-OH), Joe Wilson (R-SC), Mike Turner (R-OH), Jill Tokuda (D-HI), and Derek Tran (D-CA).
