The Air Force should systematically evaluate a pilot program that funds its civilian space acquisition workforce from research and development accounts to determine if there’s merit in applying this approach to more of its civilian employees, recommended Government Accountability Office auditors. Nearly 1800 civilians at the Space and Missile Systems Center in Los Angeles manage the acquisition of the service’s space assets, and in 2012, the Air Force began the pilot program, which moved the funding for them from operation and maintenance coffers to the R&D accounts, according to the summary of GAO’s new report, issued on July 8. However, the Air Force did not define clear and consistent goals, and, as a result, “anecdotal opinions on the advantages or disadvantages of the pilot varied significantly,” states the summary. Without a thorough evaluation, the Air Force cannot gauge if there’s is an advantage to expanding this initiative, states the summary.
US Space Command Should Always Be Led by a Guardian
Sept. 12, 2026
General Stephen Whiting took command of U.S. Space Command in January 2024, and if customary three-year tenures hold, his tour would end in January 2027. The question now before the President and Senate is who should follow him? Whoever they choose, it has to be a Guardian—and so should every successor…
