Gov. Jared Polis is pushing back against legislation proposed by the Department of Defense to transfer space-focused Air National Guard units into the active duty Space Force without the consent of governors who oversee the units. 

The potential transfer of 14 space-focused units, including seven in Colorado, to the Space Force is also expected to spark many resignations among guardsman, based on survey data provided by the Colorado Department of Military and Veteran Affairs, which oversees the Colorado guard. The February poll showed that 60% to 86% of guardsmen would leave rather than transfer, leaving a major gap in expertise, said Parker White, spokesman for the Colorado agency. 

Colorado units work in critical areas including satellite jamming, a capability used to deny enemy fighters GPS signals or communications.

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In a Tuesday letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Polis strongly opposed the legislation because it completely sidelines the governors who are tasked with overseeing National Guard units and it would hurt national security.  

“I cannot stand idly by as the servicemembers I am charged with leading are faced with the decision to either leave military service, or serve in a manner that they did not originally agree to,” Polis wrote. “We know that a significant majority of Air National Guard space operators will not transfer to the U.S. Space Force, putting both their military career and national security at risk.”

He went on to say it would have “broader detrimental philosophical implications to the very role of the National Guard, gubernatorial authority therein, and the continued existence of state-based citizen servicemembers.”

Overriding governors’ authority of national guard units would go against 120 years of military structure, he said. 

The secretary of the Air Force’s press desk has not responded to a request for comment on Polis’ concerns. 

U.S. Rep. Jason Crow, D-Aurora, said in a statement he will also oppose the proposal that originated with the Air Force. 

“I have led efforts in Congress to create a Space National Guard because it’s the best approach to safeguard Colorado’s service members and protect national security and workforce readiness. The Air Force’s proposed approach that strips governor authority over the National Guard personnel performing space missions is the wrong move. I will be working in Congress and with the states impacted by this proposal to move it in the right direction,” he said. 

The other states with space-focused National Guard missions are Alaska, California, Florida, Hawaii, New York and Ohio.

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Space Force Gen. Chance Saltzman, chief of space operations, has promoted the integration of part-time employees into the Space Force. He has termed it a single-component model, which would be new to the military. He said it would allow the space guardians to hold civilians jobs as they go in the National Guard.  

Under the new model, the Air Force Reserve’s 310th Space Wing housed at Schriever Space Force Base is slated to be absorbed into the Space Force. 

The National Guard Association and lawmakers from states with space-focused units have advocated for a stand-alone Space National Guard, which would allow service members to continue to work in place and preserve their expertise. 

Sen. Marco Rubio introduced the latest bill to create a Space National Guard in January. It could compete against the DOD proposal for inclusion in the annual National Defense Authorization Act, a must-pass bill. 

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The National Guard Bureau estimates it would take up to nine years and as much as $1 billion to replace those who plan to quit, according to a news release from the National Guard Association.

The wrangling over a Space National Guard has largely hinged on disagreements about how much it could cost. The Biden administration has sided against the idea because of the additional overhead and bureaucracy.  

The most recent National Defense Authorization Act called for a study into the different options for handling the space-focused units that were left behind in an Air Force no longer technically responsible for training or equipping them.

The secretary of the Air Force’s press desk did not immediately respond to questions about whether the study is complete.