AUGUST 13, 2026 – Chief Master Sgt. of the Space Force John Bentivegna engaged with Guardians on the importance of professional development and the evolving landscape of the service at the Space Force Guardians Conference, held in conjunction with the Air Force Sergeants Association (AFSA) Summit, Aug. 8-9.
“My challenge to you today is to ask more questions, drive discussions, and lean into the dialogue,” Bentivegna said. “This is your time. The advantage we have as a small service is the opportunity to do things like this, where a large preponderance of us can get into a room and have good dialogue about where we’re going as a service.”
The two-day conference provided a forum for Guardians to hear directly from senior leaders about the current state and future trajectory of the Space Force and ask questions directly to the individuals making the decisions that are shaping the seven-year-old service as it looks to double in size.
“Our development framework serves as a deliberate filter to make sure we are putting the right people in the right spots and not just filling billets.” Bentivegna stated. “We are looking for high-performing, qualified warfighters who are ready for increased responsibility. As we work to expand the Space Force, we owe it to the mission to keep our standards high and ensure we act as a filter at all levels, not a pump focused on quantity over quality.”
The conference allowed Guardians at all levels to step outside their daily operational environments, gain strategic perspective and bring the valuable insights they gained back to their units.
The weekend’s agenda was split into two core themes. Saturday focused on the Foundations of Guardian Leadership and opened with a discussion on the Joint Warfighter Perspective, led by Brig. Gen. Zachary Warakomski, vice director for Joint Force Development on the Joint Staff. Additional briefings included an explanation of the Core Enlisted Framework, a question-and-answer session with Guardians in Institutional Requirement roles, and a briefing on the upcoming Fully Qualified Promotion process.
On Sunday, the conference shifted the focus to Developing the Warfighter, prioritizing mission readiness, and talent management. The day opened with an open forum with the CMSSF and continued with briefings on enlisted Professional Military Education and panels designed to educate Guardians on the roles of numerous field commands and component field commands in recent operations.
A major topic of discussion throughout the weekend was the new Fully Qualified Promotion process, which will fundamentally change how Guardians in the grades of E-5 and below are promoted. Transitioning away from the current E-5 promotion board, the new model will enable eligible Guardians to advance upon meeting established requirements with commander recommendation, rather than competing against peers for a limited number of allocations.
The program provides Guardians with a more predictable and transparent path to promotion by replacing competition with a standards-based approach. Full implementation is slated to begin this fall and formal guidance fully detailing eligibility requirements and commander responsibilities will be released in the near future.
“All of you are part of the foundation building of the service,” Bentivegna emphasized. “Books are going to be written about the things that you’re doing today, every single day, whether it be the development of the service, or the phenomenal integration you’re doing to the joint force.”
By Tech. Sgt. William A. O’Brien
Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs