NATIONAL HARBOR, Md.—As part of an effort to better hone space acquisition expertise, the Space Force is launching a 10-week initial qualification training course for new acquisition officers.
The first-of-its-kind course offers new procurement officers a deep-dive into the intricacies of program management, contracting, and space system testing, Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. Chance Saltzman said Sept. 22 in a keynote at AFA’s Air, Space & Cyber Conference.
“Earlier this month, the first cohort of students began learning about program management, engineering, contracting, and testing of space systems,” Saltzman said. “I’m sure we’ll see these Guardians creating tremendous benefits across the force very soon.”
Along with the in-resident qualification training, those officers will have a chance to learn from experts in the space industry and be mentored by senior leaders in the Space Force.
The qualification training course is not just tailored for early career acquirers, Saltzman noted, but includes an on-ramp for operators looking to transition into acquisition roles.
The new training builds on the Space Force’s new approach to officer training writ large. The service earlier this month graduated 84 Guardians from its first Officer Training Course, which offers instruction across a range of career fields, including space operations, intelligence, and cyber.
The goal of that yearlong course is to develop officers as generalists first with operational knowledge before they shift into more narrow specializations or acquisition roles later in their career.
“We want Guardians to have a variety of experiences early on, allowing us to find their strengths, helping them understand where their passions lie,” Saltzman said. “Then we can match the skills, strengths and desires of each Guardian to the training and experiences they need to thrive across the wide range of Space Force missions.”
That approach to acquisition officer development puts the Space Force more in line with the likes of the Army and Navy compared to the Air Force, where officers can get started in acquisition at the very start of their careers—though USAF officials have also pushed for their officers to get more operational experience too.
The announcement of the new USSF course comes amid a broader push to strengthen the service’s acquisition cadre, which, by percentage, is the largest of all the military services. Earlier this year, Saltzman told Senate lawmakers the Space Force was seeing an “outsized impact” from the Trump administration’s cuts to the civilian workforce. During a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing in May, he reported that the service had lost nearly 14 percent of its civilian personnel to early retirement and staffing reductions, many of them acquisition professionals.
Saltzman noted in his keynote speech that while military and civilian acquisition personnel are “the center of gravity” when it comes to delivering space capability, it’s a technical and challenging profession that requires more investment and individualized development.
“Space acquisition is one of the most intricate professions on or off the planet, and it can take years to master,” he said. “At the pace the joint force is demanding our capabilities, we will need an expert workforce to deliver. So, it’s imperative that we invest in developing our workforce so that our Guardians can effectively play their role in system delivery.”
