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Space Force Col. Richard R. Beckman has taken over as the second Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Infrastructure, succeeding Col. Corey J. Klopstein on Aug. 6, according to the service.
“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.”
Klopstein has led the infrastructure portfolio through a phase of rapid growth and integration. After the Operational Test and Training Infrastructure program executive office stood up in October 2023, he expanded the organization from fewer than a dozen personnel to about 300 and managed an annual budget of roughly $500 million. Funding dedicated to test and training rose from $870 million to more than $2 billion during his tenure. On March 18, he became the first Infrastructure PAE, bringing OTTI together with other key Space Force infrastructure efforts.
Ainsworth noted that Klopstein “didn’t just manage a portfolio; he built an enterprise from the ground up.”
Under Klopstein, the Space Force established its first combat training program of record, fielding on-site simulators to tackle core readiness shortfalls and reduce the training backlog. His team also put in place a foundational orbital range, revamped the electromagnetic spectrum operations range, and delivered the service’s first cyber range.
With the initial enterprise built out, the portfolio now pivots to modernization and scaling. Beckman, whose background is steeped in space systems and research and development, is charged with moving the test-and-training enterprise forward while continuing delivery of critical infrastructure across the portfolio.
Beckman previously led the Space and Cyber Branch within the Capabilities and Acquisition Division on the Joint Staff and served as the first Guardian vice commander at the Air Force Technical Applications Center. Most recently, he commanded the Phillips Research Site and directed the Air Force Research Laboratory Space Vehicles Directorate at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., overseeing more than 1,000 military, civilian, and contractor personnel.
