Vice President Mike Pence is at the Pentagon today to discuss the future of the US military in space, including the proposed Space Force.
He said the sixth branch of the military will be in place by 2020.
Our administration will soon take action to implement these recommendations, with the objective of establishing the United States Department of the #SpaceForce by 2020. pic.twitter.com/qQaJDAfTl7
— Vice President Mike Pence (@VP) August 9, 2018
The report on space and the US military was delayed and not unveiled on Aug. 1 as originally anticipated. A US defense official previously said the report's delay was due to minor tweaks and revisions that were still ongoing.
On Tuesday, Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis told reporters the Pentagon was still "working our way through this" despite an earlier leaked proposal that said the Pentagon planned to elevate Space Command to a major Combatant Command.
Mattis said he "absolutely" supported the move and that such an elevation was "certainly one thing that we can establish."
Asked if such a move fell short of Trump's call for a separate military service, Mattis said the department was "in complete agreement" with the President and his concern for space, saying Pence was "the point man" on this issue.
