First Air Force Academy graduates join the new Space Force

They are the first crop of graduates to enter the newest branch of the nation's military

Published: April 19, 2020 3:16pm

Updated: April 19, 2020 4:09pm

The first batch of U.S. Air Force Academy graduates directly has joined the U.S. Space Force, the nation's sixth and newest military branch.

"I am proud to stand here today as 86 members of the Air Force Academy’s class of 2020 will commission as the first company grade officers of the Space Force," Vice President Mike Pence said at the graduation ceremony on Friday.

"Although we have 16,000 Active Duty Airmen and civilians assigned to the Space Force officially on the Space Force scrolls, you are numbers 3 through 88," Chief of Space Operations Gen. Jay Raymond said.

The Space Force was created during President Trump's tenure in office, and will focus on U.S. interests in the domain of space.