DoD working on Space Force rollout plan pending congressional approval

WASHINGTON — With defense committees on Capitol Hill consumed by Ukraine and Syria crises while spending bills slow to a crawl and the House moves forward with an impeachment inquiry, it is uncertain if or when Congress will pass the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act. Much less clear is whether the NDAA will give DoD the green light to establish a Space Force as the sixth branch of the armed forces.
Establishing a Space Force as the sixth branch of the armed forces is a priority of President Trump and Vice President Pence and the White House wants to be prepared to roll out the new service as soon as Congress authorizes it, according to sources familiar with discussions at an Oct. 15 meeting at the White House.
White House officials have asked DoD to prepare a detailed public communications plan for the new branch, these sources said. DoD and Air Force officials have said they would be ready to stand up a Space Force within 90 days of its enactment. But the president would not want to wait that long for the public reveal of the Space Force.
Administration officials expressed concern that DoD does not yet have Space ...