First, we must understand why we have a Space Force. It is for the same reason we have an Air Force, in either case it has nothing to do with where they operate or the technology they use. It has to do with the very nature of what the military is compared with other institutions: they are inherently conservative. Everyone has heard that the generals and admirals are always preparing for the last battle. Unfair perhaps, but it is true the military looks to the past rather than the future.
If you go into any military facility you will notice it is decorated with paintings of the heroic battles of the past. The culture is one of sacrifice and the way you remind your people of that is to constantly hold up the sacrifices of those who came before them. So, they must look backwards, which means they are inherently conservative and that means they do not readily adapt to new technologies.
So maybe it made sense to breakout a section of an existing service with the explicit mandate to embrace a new technology. (Of course, it would make more sense, once everybody was comfortable with it, to merge the original service back together to eliminate the extra bureaucracy but governments never eliminate bureaucracies once created.)
Since before Rome there have two great military traditions, armies and navies. The mission of armies is to secure and maintain control over a battlefield, an operating theater, or a territory either in offence or defense. This requires centralized control of many operating elements and a command structure based on tight communication and coordination. Everyone must look to the center for guidance.
The Naval mission is one of power projection offshore and over so wide an expanse that maintaining full control has never been feasible. Except for rare fleet actions, ship captains are given broad mission parameters with considerable latitude and are trained to operate independently from central command authority.
These two traditions permeate every aspect of our military organizations today. The US Air Force today is about centralized command and control and that is reflected in every aspect of the way they train their people and accomplish their mission. They are an army with flying machines.
The Navy finally got around to appreciating what aircraft could do to them (it took an army officer to sink a battleship with a bomb dropped from an airplane) and ultimately for them. When I was on active duty as a Naval Aviator, I flew long range aircraft, modified C-130 Hercules, on a strategic mission. The airframe was developed by the Air Force and I did my initial type training with the Air Force. But the two services operated them entered differently.
When we left home base for a two week deployment, we were expected to accomplish our mission and not be heard from again, except in dire circumstances, until we got back. What a contrast with my Air Force colleagues who were out over the Atlantic with me in their C-130s but doing an Air Force mission. They were constantly in communication with their home squadrons.
I am not being critical of the Air Force here and this is not about service rivalry. The Air Force has equally great people as the Navy and an exemplary record of mission success, but the two great military traditions continue to exist for good reason.
I leave it to you to decide which tradition is best suited to the commander of a deep space vessel out beyond the orbit of Jupiter where central command is many light minutes away and can’t do anything to help you anyway.
There is something magic about a uniform. When you put on a Navy uniform you become part of the Naval tradition and that matters. That is why, when you send a ship out to go where no human has gone before, it should not commanded by Colonel Kirk.
One Response
Being a nurse, I understand the need for structure. So pick whatever you think will be a good beginning structure and build from there I will matter who gets put in charge; a bureaucrat, A civilian CEO, A woman/man. They must have leadership skills and be able to herd cats (without scaring them away or frightening them). Trust is the key. Lead by example; shepherd from behind.
Military structure requires personnel who are structured and may be very ridged. Inherent in their mission/makeup is the possible mission to wage a battle. I don’t view this as that kind of mission.
I think/hope you have already built these behaviors into your model to the degree they may or may not be necessary.
Some fine tuning may be necessary. 🙂