The U.S. Space Force is recruiting and will now do so under its own Guardian title.
The youngest of the eight individual uniformed services of the country, Space Force recruitment has been managed by Air Force Recruiting Services until now. It was founded on Dec. 20, 2019, during President Donald Trump’s first term. Now, after over five years in existence, the branch announced it is significantly changing its recruitment process, establishing a full Guardian squadron later in the year, according to Air & Space Forces Magazine.
“Guardian” is the official title given to members of the Space Force. An announcement regarding the change in the recruiting process was made during the AFA Warfare Symposium.
“The Air Force has been a phenomenal partner with the Space Force in doing the recruiting for us. We didn’t have the infrastructure when we stood up,” said John F. Bentivegna, chief master sergeant of the Space Force. “But all that to be said, we recognize that this is a service responsibility. This is a service obligation to attract and recruit our own, so as we were building capacity.”
Bentivegna elaborated on plans to enhance recruiting and how the Space Force would change its approach. He said now was the time for the military branch to start “putting more skin” in recruitment.
“We have to start investing in recruiting,” Bentivegna said. “And we sent a couple of people down to the Recruiting Service to help facilitate the recruitment of Guardians in the Air Force ecosystem. But the big change was we were ready to start putting more skin in the game.”
As part of this process, the Space Force has plans to build its recruitment center and team, based out of San Antonio, Texas, to head its efforts. Previously, recruiters and efforts to find interested applicants were slightly disorganized and “scattered.” It was an admission that Brig. Gen. Christopher R. Amrhein, the Air Force Recruiting Service commander, told Air & Space Forces Magazine.
“They were kind of scattered, and what we wanted to be able to do is have a consolidated squadron based out of San Antonio that is a direct report to the AFRS commander,” Amrhein said. “I wanted them to have literally the closest touch points, with marketing, with operations, with medical waivers, or our communications folks, because they’re building this, and so if they’re in an embedded around the headquarters, then those touch points are there.”
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Bentivegna was enthusiastic about the new approach, suggesting some changes Space Force recruiters could use to enhance strategies compared to recent years. Nevertheless, he envisioned much success for the service on the horizon.
“We started to identify Guardians who were going to help build the recruitment strategy for the service,” said Bentivegna. “They’ve actually gone to recruiting school with the Air Force, they went through that training, and they’re in the process. Several of them are already in Texas. Essentially, by the beginning of the summer, we’re hoping to have the initial cadre of trained Guardians that are down there, and then they’re going to start working through what is the recruiting strategy for the service.”
