Criticism of Space Force Leadership
The leaders of the House Armed Services Committee are addressing Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman regarding the Space Force’s adequacy in building its acquisition workforce, according to a new letter obtained by Breaking Defense.
Emphasis on Operators Over Core Functions
In the letter, addressed to Saltzman, Rep. Mike Rogers, R.-Ala., and Rep. Adam Smith, D.-Wash., the chairman and ranking member of the HASC, respectively, express concern that Saltzman and his team may be too focused on increasing the number of operators within America’s youngest military branch. “We fear a divide that elevates operators at the detriment to other core functions of the Space Force will have negative impacts, potentially not immediately, but as we look to 2030 and beyond,” they wrote.
Questions Raised at Spacepower Conference
The letter, dated today, points out that acquisition issues were notably absent in Saltzman’s presentations during the Space Force Association’s Spacepower 2024 conference last week. This omission, they argue, indicates a disconnect from the CSO’s earlier initiative to integrate acquisition and operational experts through organizational structures called Integrated Mission Deltas.
Need for Alignment Across Areas
“As we received your remarks last week at the Spacepower conference, the omission of acquisition, training, and testing has raised some questions as to the previous focus on maintaining alignment across these areas,” Rogers and Smith wrote. “We believe this is needed not only to be successful in developing the next generation space warfighter but also to ensure that the Service will have the skillset and workforce to design, develop, and acquire systems that Guardians are going to need in the future.”
Demands for Accountability and Transparency
The letter echoes comments made by Rogers earlier at a Space Force fifth birthday event sponsored by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), suggesting HASC leadership is ready to publicly express their frustrations with Saltzman’s emphasis on operators.
Requests for Detailed Information
To that end, the HASC leaders demand that the Space Force provide answers to a series of questions regarding how acquisition expertise is integrated into Guardian development and training. This includes a breakdown of specialties held by the officer corps by rank—“to include operations (13S, 14N, 17X), engineering (62E), and acquisition (63A).”
Plans for Future Staffing and Training
Additionally, the Space Force is tasked to describe how the new integrated deltas “will be staffed with the required acquisition personnel beginning in 2026;” what acquisition training and development programs are being offered to junior officers; and how the service plans to recruit, train, and retain acquisition officials.
