AUGUST 7, 2026 – Space Force Col. Richard R. Beckman assumed leadership as the second Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Infrastructure from Col. Corey J. Klopstein, Aug. 6.
“Today we recognize a pivotal leadership transition and honor the foundational achievements of an elite acquisition warrior,” said Thomas Ainsworth, acting Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration. “Col Klopstein’s impact as the first Infrastructure PAE and his monumental efforts prepares the Space Force for the future and will be felt for decades.”
Since the activation of the Operational Test and Training Infrastructure program executive office in October 2023, Klopstein transformed the organization from fewer than 10 people to a 300-member team executing a $500 million annual budget. Under his leadership, the budget allocated for test and training grew from $870M to more than $2 billion. On March 18, Klopstein became the first Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Infrastructure, integrating the OTTI program with other critical infrastructure programs for the United States Space Force.
Ainsworth noted that Klopstein “didn’t just manage a portfolio; he built an enterprise from the ground up.”
During his tenure, Klopstein inked the Space Force’s first combat training program of record, which delivered on-site simulators to solve the service’s primary readiness gap and cut the training backlog. His team established the foundational orbital range, retooled the electromagnetic spectrum operations range, and delivered the Space Force’s first-ever cyber range.
Following this remarkable period of rapid expansion and foundational milestones, the portfolio now shifts from initial enterprise establishment to advancing modernization and capability scaling. This critical handoff places the future of Guardian and Space Force Enterprise readiness in the hands of another seasoned leader prepared to build upon Klopstein’s momentum.
Beckman steps into the role with a background heavily rooted in space systems, and research and development, making him the right leader to navigate the modernization of test and training as well as the delivery of critical infrastructure in the evolving PAE role. He previously ran the Space and Cyber Branch in the Capabilities and Acquisition Division on the Joint Staff and served as the first Guardian vice commander for the Air Force Technical Applications Center.
Most recently, Beckman commanded the Phillips Research Site and served as director of the Air Force Research Laboratory Space Vehicles Directorate at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, where he led more than 1,000 military, civilian, and contractor personnel.
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