With their demanding training regimens and tip-of-the-spear mission sets, the United States Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine commandos who make up special operations forces (SOF) hold a special place in the consciousness of the nation.
Now, the newest service branch has earned a permanent spot in the group with the establishment of Space Force Special Operations Command. The move was revealed in testimony before Congress in March 2025 as Army Gen. Bryan P. Fenton, then commander of U.S. Special Operations Command, delivered the command’s annual posture statement.
Fenton described the standup of the command as “advancing the nexus” among select combatant commands to address “key operational problems for the Joint Force” — problems involving SOF, space and cyber effects. Space Force Special Operations Command was created “to deliver specialized space personnel and capabilities to our units responsible for campaigning,” according to the testimony.
The new command has been described as more of a support component than the other services’ special operations groups, similar to Space Force components being created for other combatant commands. The move acknowledges the unique nature of the Space Force, according to a report by Sandboxx, a mailing app for military personnel that first reported the news. Guardians do not deploy to their area of responsibility, space, and they work in a limited range of military operations.
A Space Force Special Operations element already existed, based at the home of U.S. Special Operations Command headquarters — MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida. The element took part in the annual Emerald Warrior exercise, conducted by the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), according to a March 2024 AFSOC news release. Guardians delivered “specialized space expertise, space-related intelligence and integration,” the release said.