Space Training and Readiness Command
Space Training and Readiness Command
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Space Training and Readiness Command

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Space Training and Readiness Command

Space Training and Readiness Command (STAR Command or STARCOM) is the United States Space Force's education, training, doctrine, and test field command. It is headquartered at Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado.

Space Training and Readiness Command was first established on 1 November 1993 as the U.S. Air Force Space Warfare Center under Air Force Space Command and simply renamed to the Space Warfare Center (SWC) on 1 July 1994. On 1 March 2006, the Space Warfare Center was redesignated as the Space Innovation and Development Center (SIDC). The Space Innovation and Development Center was inactivated on 1 April 2013 and its responsibilities were transferred to Air Combat Command's United States Air Force Warfare Center. Following the establishment of the U.S. Space Force as an independent service, the Space Training and Readiness Delta (Provisional) was activated on 24 July 2020 under Space Operations Command to begin preparing the groundwork for STARCOM's activation as the Space Force's third field command on 23 August 2021.

The U.S. Air Force Space Warfare Center (SWC) was established on 1 November 1993 at Falcon Air Force Base under Air Force Space Command to better enhance military space capabilities. On 1 July 1994, its name was simplified to the Space Warfare Center. The Space Warfare Center was created as a direct result of the Gulf War, where U.S. space capabilities were used more than any previous conflict, but post–war analysis indicated potential shortfalls.

The Space Warfare Center was specifically tasked with integrating space forces with terrestrial forces, including working with the Air Force Doctrine Center and Air University to incorporate space. It was compared with the United States Army Air Corps' Air Corps Tactical School in its role and purpose. It also was responsible for integrating air, space, and cyberspace capabilities in wargames and exercises, conducted advanced space training, and oversaw space experiments and the space ranges. On 21 July 1995, the 17th Test Squadron was activated to manage Air Force Space Command test programs and placed under the Space Warfare Center. This was followed by the realignment of the 576th Flight Test Squadron, which performed flight testing of the LGM-30G Minuteman III, from the 30th Operations Group to the Space Warfare Center on 22 February 1996. In 1997, the Air Force began standing up a series of battlelabs to foster innovation across its major commands and functions. The Air Force Space Battlelab was activated on 9 April 1997 and its initial focus was space surveillance. On 23 October 2000, the 527th Space Aggressor Squadron was activated as the first space aggressor unit.

On 7 April 2000, the Space Warfare Center gained the 595th Test and Evaluation Group, which was redesignated as the 595th Space Group on 1 August 2002. The 595th Space Group was originally activated in 1970 under the 6595th Aerospace Test Wing as the 6595th Missile Test Group, before being redesignated as the 6595th Test and Evaluation Group in 1988. Following its activation, the 17th Test Squadron and 576th Flight Test Squadron were realigned under the 595th Space Group. The 527th Space Aggressor Squadron was also realigned on 23 October 2002 and the 25th Space Control Tactics Squadron, renamed the 25th Space Range Squadron, was activated under it on 1 July 2004. Following the 2001 Space Commission report, Air Force Space Command established the United States Air Force Space Operations School on 28 June 2001. It was realigned under the 595th Space Group on 23 October 2002 and renamed to the National Security Space Institute on 1 October 2004, being realigned directly under Air Force Space Command.

On 1 March 2006, the Space Warfare Center was redesignated as the Space Innovation and Development Center (SIDC). As part of this change, the 25th Space Range Squadron and 527th Space Aggressor Squadron were scheduled to be transferred to Air Combat Command, however only the 527th Space Aggressors Squadron transferred to the 57th Adversary Tactics Group. Instead, the Space Innovation and Development Center activated the 3rd Space Experimentation Squadron on 10 March 2006, assigning it to the 595th Space Group. Starting in 2006, the Air Force began to move to close all of its battlelabs and on 2 November 2007, the Space Battlelab was inactivated. This was followed by the 576th Flight Test Group being reassigned to Air Force Global Strike Command on 1 December 2009, as part of the transfer of missile responsibilities from Space Command to Global Strike Command.

On 1 April 2013, the Space Innovation and Development Center, along with the 595th Space Group, were inactivated. The 3rd Space Experimentation Squadron was reassigned the 50th Space Wing. The remaining units were transferred to Air Combat Command, with the 17th Test Squadron becoming part of the 53rd Test Management Group and the 25th Space Range Squadron becoming part of the Nevada Test and Training Range.

The first mention of STARCOM during planning for the Space Force was in a 18 March 2019 briefing given by Task Force Tango, a planning group within Air Force Space Command and its mission was finalized later that year. In December 2020, the Space Training and Readiness Command Task Force was created, with Brigadier General Shawn Bratton, an Air National Guard officer, serving as planning lead and Chief Master Sergeant James P. Seballes senior enlisted leader.

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