US Space Force to add 10,000 guardians in next 5 years

The U.S. Space Force plans to add 10,000 guardians in the next five years, doubling its uniformed ranks.

The growth will hinge on the service recruiting more than 200 guardians and civilian specialists to fill instructor roles in anticipation of the large increase in students, Space Training and Readiness Commander Maj. Gen. James E. Smith told reporters Tuesday at the Air & Space Forces Association’s 2026 Air, Space & Cyber Conference.

“We understand the requirements behind right-sizing the Space Force, and we are fully postured to meet those goals for FY27,” Smith said.

“Adding 10,000 Guardians over the next five years represents our target, with a significant portion of that growth occurring in the first year,” he continued. “Predictable budget resources will remain vital as we scale operations to maintain our FY27 momentum.”

As of 2024, the Space Force employed more than 14,000 civilian and military guardians, according to the service, with around 9,400 active-duty guardians.

The 200 instructor roles include officer and enlisted basic training, commissioning pipelines, initial skills training and professional military education, according to a STARCOM release. They’d be assigned to Air Force ROTC detachments across the country, Officer Training School and the Air Force Academy, as well as three enlisted initial skills training locations and enlisted PME courses.

STARCOM will work to rapidly onboard and qualify the new personnel to handle the incoming number of students, the release says. In fiscal 2027, STARCOM plans to expand its Basic Military Training channel by more than 90% to accommodate 1,400 recruits at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, with initial skills courses also facing expansion to match the increase in students.

Enlisted professional military education will grow by nearly 120% to train more than 1,300 students annually, and the Officer Training School will “scale its pipeline” by nearly 600% to prepare around 850 officer trainees, per the statement.

Air Force ROTC anticipates a 100% jump in commissions to around 200 guardians next year.

After commissioning, new officers enter OTC, which is housed at Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado, with enrollment expected to increase 275% to more than 1,350 officers in fiscal 2027.

Eventually, officer professional military education will absorb an additional 1,600 students for a 330% increase.

“While we currently have a great partnership with the U.S. Air Force for many of our development courses,” Smith said, “ultimately, Guardians require space-minded education and rigorous, domain-specific training to ensure combat credibility, integrate seamlessly with the joint force and protect national interests.”

The news of the growth comes as the White House announced plans in late August to establish a NASA-led Space Force Academy in an effort to expand education opportunities as the nation continues to register space as a “critical domain.”

Chief of Space Operations Gen. Douglas Schiess said in a Tuesday media roundtable at the AFA conference that the Space Force is working with NASA to support the development of the academy, but the service will continue to graduate 100 guardians a year from the Air Force Academy.

“I think we’re at the very beginning stages, and so I think anybody that’s space-minded and is going to have that background that can then get a job in the Space Force as a civilian, that’s great,” he told reporters.