LEADERS ARE CALLING FOR GUARDIANS TO HAVE THEIR OWN SPACE FORCE BOOT CAMP

Boot camp remains a rite of passage for service members but right now, the U.S. Air Force (USAF) and the U.S. Space Force (USSF) both attend the same Basic Military Training (BMT). It’s fair to point out that the military’s newest branch was birthed from the USAF, however, leadership is looking to provide Guardians with a specialized program of their own. The idea of a Space Force boot camp is being floated around, but before it’s cleared for takeoff, there are some logistics to sort out.

Does Space Force Have a Boot Camp​?

The Space Force boot camp is the same BMT as the USAF and takes place at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in Texas.

This began in October 2020, and lasts seven and a half weeks long, with most trainees showing up during Zero Week in preparation for the task at hand.

Although similar to what Airmen go through, there are also Guardian-specific parts of training to prepare the Space Force as best as possible for what they may be called to do while serving our nation.

BMT is a combination of physical fitness, mental toughness, and maintaining discipline throughout the process.

For Guardians, the mental side of things also includes a deeper understanding of space-related operations.

Guardians and Airmen coexist for now but there is a push to provide a separate, exclusive boot camp for members of the USSF.

Leaders Want to Separate Guardians and Airmen

There is a growing movement within military leaders to have Guardians take on their own BMT separate from the USAF.

Details about the proposed Space Force boot camp exclusive for Guardians are scarce; however, it’s an effort to get the USSF more specialized training for their operational needs.

“We’re trying to figure out what’s the right scope, what’s the right scale, what’s the right evolution away from (having) the Air Force training our inductees and getting to a more guardian-focused environment,” said Chief of Space Operations Gen. B Chance Saltzman.

Not Cleared for Takeoff Just Yet

There are over 9,520 Guardians in the Space Force as of December 2024; however, this pales mightily to every other military branch, including the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), which boasts over 40,550 service members.

This alone can make it difficult to justify a Space Force boot camp exclusive to Guardians.

Furthermore, it’s not the only hurdle facing the program. BMT requires a curriculum, staffing, location, and other requirements to make it a reality.

On top of all of that, you still have to have logistics for creating the program and executing it when it’s time.

As it stands, Guardians finish their boot camp and then take on a technical school so that they can learn training specific to their job before receiving their unit assignment.

“Most of the training for Guardians is the same as what Airmen experience. The only difference is some of the curriculum is specific to USSF,” said Spokeswoman for Air Education and Training Command, Christa L. D’Andrea.

Not Everyone Is a Fan of the Space Force Boot Camp Proposal

While there is talk of providing a Guardian-centric BMT, leaders still realize that the small, growing force has a long way to go before it can establish a culture as seen in other branches.

These things take time and the fact remains that the USSF is the youngest branch of the military.

It’s important to separate Guardians distinctly from Airmen and the branch is focused on providing that experience, which is expected from those joining.

However, the boost to morale and pride through cohesion still needs to develop naturally while balancing national defense needs.

For now, no new Space Force boot camp feels realistic in the short term, but Guardians are still taking the right steps forward to make it happen when the time is right.

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