united-states criminal-law military interpretation federalism
Does the Posse Comitatus Act Apply To The U.S. Space Force?
<p>In 1956, the <a href="https://law.stackexchange.com/questions/51993/why-werent-the-us-navy-and-marines-added-to-the-posse-comitatus-act-in-1956">Posse Comitatus Act was adopted</a>. It made it a crime to use the Army to enforce U.S. law in the United States in the absence of an invasion or insurrection. (The law itself is discussed and cited on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posse_Comitatus_Act" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Wikipedia</a>).</p>
<p>But, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Space_Force" rel="nofollow noreferrer">United States Space Force, created in 2019</a>, didn't exist at the time. And, the U.S. Space Force is predominantly drawn from the U.S. Air Force, which in turn has its roots in a subdivision of the United States Army which is covered by the Posse Comitatus Act.</p>
<p>So, my question is: Does the Posse Comitatus Act apply to the U.S. Space Force?</p>

<p>Space Force appears to have been <strong>specifically included</strong> on Dec 27, 2021. &quot;Whoever, except in cases and under circumstances expressly authorized by the Constitution or Act of Congress, willfully uses any part of the Army, the Navy, the Marine Corps, the Air Force, or the Space Force as a posse comitatus or otherwise to execute the laws shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both.&quot; Public Law 117-81, Sec. 1045
<a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/1385" rel="noreferrer">https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/1385</a></p>
