| After it was founded in 1947, “it took the Air Force 25 years to figure out their mission,” he said. “We shouldn’t expect that the Space Force is going to be able to figure it out the day after we stand them up. It’s going to take a little while, and that’s okay.”
I’m wondering if this is a bit of a misquote. The 25 year period interestingly is the same as the existence of the Army Air Corp[0]. 25 years after 1947 would be 1972, and infer that the Air Force hasn’t yet figure out their mission through the Vietnam War, Minuteman missile development and emplacement, or most of the Cold War.
I personally think that the Space Force should have remained part of the Air Force until more capabilities were developed and a sense of mission.
As far as I can find, only two members of the Space Force have been to space[1]. I’m not sure there would have been support for the creation of the Air Force if only two Army Air Corp pilots had completed missions yet.