Shawn Barnes, deputy principal assistant to the secretary of the U.S. Air Force for space, has been tapped to serve as coordinator for the process of organizing the Space Force headquarters and the sixth military branch's acquisition office, SpaceNews reported Tuesday.
He will help Gen. John Raymond establish the new service's E-Ring office in Colorado Springs, Colo., as well as coordinate efforts between its personnel who will work at the Pentagon and the HQ. The report noted Barnes will also oversee a USAF office for acquisition and integration until the Senate confirms a political appointee to become an assistant secretary of these functions.
He aims to bring together Department of Defense components at a summit to be held in mid-February and encourage the organizations to create an integrated space architecture for national security missions. Barnes started his public sector career at the Department of Agriculture and supported USDA's animal vaccine research and development efforts.
He then joined USAF in 1985 and held various positions such as commander of the 12th Space Warning Squadron and the 595th Space Group. Before he assumed his more recent role in September 2018, he was assistant vice commander of Air Force Space Command.