U.S. Air Force moves 23 units to Space Force

April 1 (UPI) -- The U.S. Air Force identified 23 units and organizations to be transferred to the U.S. Space Force on Wednesday.

While the entities will not physically relocate, they will be transitioned to the Space Force, currently an agency of the Air Force. Personnel within the units to be moved will retain their ranks and pay grades under the Air Force system.

"Building the U.S. Space Force represents a top priority for the Department of the Air Force," Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett said in a statement on Tuesday. "These mission transfers incorporate existing forces into the agile Space Force, which stands ready to defend American and allied interests."

The locations include the 17th Test Squadron, Peterson AFB, Colo.; 18th Intel Squadron, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio; 25th Space Range Squadron at Schriever AFB, Colo.; 328th Weapons Squadron, Nellis AFB, Nev.; 527th Space Aggressor Squadron, Schriever AFB, Colo.; 705th Combat Training Squadron OL-A, Schriever AFB, Colo.; 7th Intel Squadron, Ft. Meade, Md.; 16th AF/Advanced Programs, Schriever AFB, Colo.; 32nd Intel Squadron, Ft. Meade, Md.; 566th Intel Squadron, Buckley AFB, Colo.; 544th ISR Group Staff & Detachment 5, Peterson AFB, Colo.; Detachment 1, USAF Warfare Center, Schriever AFB, Colo.; 533rd Training Squadron, Vandenberg AFB, Calif.; National Security Space Institute, Peterson AFB, Colo.; AFRL Research Lab Mission Execution, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio; AFRL Space Vehicles Directorate, Kirtland AFB, N.M.; AFRL Rocket Propulsion Division, Edwards AFB, Calif; AFRL Electro-Optical Division, Maui, Hawaii and Kirtland AFB, N.M.; AFRL Sensors Directorate, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio; Counter-Space Analysis Squadron, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio; Space Analysis Squadron, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio; Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center Detachment 4, Peterson AFB, Colo. and Air Force Safety Center-Space Safety Division, Kirtland AFB, N.M.

The transfer of mission, which involves 1,840 billets within the Air Force, is a sign of the growth and organization of the Space Force, which has formally been in existence since December.