AUGUST 14, 2024 – Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman and Chief Master Sgt. of the Space Force John Bentivegna spoke with Guardians about the critical roles they play in developing the service at the 2024 Space Force Guardian Conference in Houston, Aug. 10-11.
The conference was focused on professional development for enlisted Guardians, updates about reoptimizing for Great Power Competition, as well as senior leader perspectives on the mindset required for future success.
Bentivegna emphasized how the technical expertise and operational mindset of the enlisted corps define the Space Force and how the service must adapt today for tomorrow’s dynamic environment.
“Enlisted Guardians are the primary warfighters within the service, serving as subject matter experts in their respective weapon systems and taking charge of training and readiness. Maintaining an operational mindset is crucial every day when you come to work in this role. The importance of having an operational mindset cannot be overstated, as the service has entrusted us with this significant responsibility.” Chief Master Sgt. of the Space Force John Bentivegna
“We must seize it, take ownership of it, and fully embrace it – that is the essence of having an operational mindset,” Bentivegna added.
Saltzman emphasized that the success of the Space Force relies on Guardians continuing to modernize to keep pace in an era of GPC.
“You’re the ones that are in close proximity to where the rubber meets the road, with the Guardians and the Airmen that are doing the mission on a day-to-day basis,” Saltzman said. “They’re going to either do it consistent with the changes that we need, and we’re going to be properly postured to do our missions, or they’re going to do things the way they’ve always done it … and I don’t think that’s going to be optimized for the challenges we face.”
Bentivegna underscored the significance of leveraging resources to retain the most qualified Guardians and is proactively seeking strategies to foster their professional growth and development within the organization.
“We are on a journey to recognize and reward the talent and hard work that you exhibit every single day, from training and leadership to meeting challenges and making sacrifices,” Bentivegna said. “This is not about buying numbers to maintain team size; it’s about acknowledging the contributions of team members who are committed to the mission and meeting the demands of our nation.”
Saltzman pointed out the service needs to “carve the time out to do the training” so Guardians stay prepared for conflict with a near-peer adversary, which is the purpose of the Space Force Generation model. This model allows the service to balance presenting forces in support of global combatant command mission requirements while maintaining the highest possible level of Guardians’ overall readiness.
As the Space Force evolves to reoptimize for GPC, senior leaders acknowledge the risk of change fatigue and the importance of gaining Guardian buy-in. Guardian Conference attendees were asked to help members in their units understand the “why” behind these critical changes.
Bentivegna also fielded questions ranging from how the Space Force continues to define its culture as joint forces assimilate into the Space Force from other services to what it means to Amplify the Guardian Spirit.
“It’s about warfighters at the tactical level being dissatisfied with the status quo and proactively seeking ways to improve,” Bentivegna said. “This mindset of continuous improvement, of never being satisfied with the current state, is what defines Guardians. We are always striving to do better, to be smarter, faster, and more integrated in our approach to our mission.”
By Tech. Sgt. Nick Z. Erwin
Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs