Nearly 250 Air Force Reservists with space-related skills have been selected to be the Space Force’s first part-time Guardians, according to an April 22 announcement.
The selection announcement comes six months after the Space Force accepted applications from Reservists to help fill about 800 part-time slots. The service is working to create a combined full-time and part-time component in hopes of finding new ways to attract and retain talent.
Reservists who accept part-time Guardian positions will perform test, evaluation, training, and planning jobs and be known as Guardians on Non-Sustained Duty, according to the announcement. They can expect to begin transferring into the Space Force this summer.
“The integration of these talented Air Force Reservists is an important step in the evolution of our service,” Chief of Space Gen. B. Chance Saltzman said in the announcement. “They bring a wealth of experience and expertise to our force, and we’re excited to welcome them as Guardians.”
The 247 part-time Guardians range from second lieutenant to colonel in the officer tanks and from staff sergeant to chief master sergeant on the enlisted side. Mid-grade officers—majors and lieutenant colonels—made up 112, or 45 percent, of the selections. In the enlisted ranks, noncommissioned officers—technical sergeants and master sergeants—made up 58, or 23 percent, of those chosen, according to a Space Force fact sheet. A full list of the Reservists selected for part-time Space Force duty can be found on the Space Force Transfer Page.
Part-timers will be required to serve the equivalent of at least 36 days—48 four-hour Inactive Duty Training periods and 12 Annual Training days—per year to have a “good year” toward retirement, the announcement states. Air Force Reservists who transfer into the Space Force with 15 to 18 years of satisfactory service will be allowed to remain in a part-time work role until they qualify for retirement.
The selection of the first part-time Guardians marks a milestone in the yearslong effort to implement the Space Force Personnel Management Act, which was signed into law in December 2023. The new system does away with “regular” and “reserve” components in favor of one single combined component.
The idea is to make it easier for Guardians to adjust to changing life circumstances instead of having to jump through the bureaucratic hoops of switching between components, Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force John F. Bentivegna said in May 2024. It also centralizes space functions previously performed by the Guard and Reserve under one roof.
The Space Force previously selected Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve members to transfer into the new service on a full-time basis. Several weeks ago, it approved 99 Guard members for full-time Guardian slots with a minimum two-year service commitment, with transfers expected to start this spring, according to an August 2025 announcement. Previously in December 2024, 252 Air Force Reservists were selected to also become full-time Guardians.
Space Force leaders hope the new system will help them manage the force more effectively, improve quality of life and retention, and tap into skill sets that many reserve component service members develop in their civilian jobs. In the past, service members have complained about running into frustrations with finances and benefits when moving between regular and reserve work, according to a 2023 RAND report. Those barriers are not unique to the Space Force, but removing them is one of several reforms the service is pursuing as it aims to attract and retain top talent.