Space Force unveils roadmap to develop the next generation of enlisted leaders

The U.S. Space Force has unveiled a Core Enlisted Framework intended to provide a career-long development path for enlisted Guardians as the service continues to mature its talent management systems. The document sets out how Guardians progress from tactical experts to operational leaders and strategic-level thinkers, while highlighting a common set of competencies the service says every enlisted member should master: Initiative, Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving, Outcome Focused, Team-Mindedness, and Leadership.

“The Core Enlisted Framework provides a foundation for how we will grow Guardians across their careers, from building tactical expertise early on to preparing enlisted leaders for broader operational responsibility,” said Katharine Kelley, Deputy Chief of Space Operations for Personnel. “It is not a rigid checklist or a single roadmap, because each Guardian’s path will be shaped by mission needs, talent, and opportunity. By aligning training, education, and development, this framework helps ensure our enlisted force is ready to meet the demands of a contested space domain today and into the future.”

Under the framework, enlisted Guardians begin with foundational mastery in the specialist ranks (E-1 to E-4), move into team leadership and mentorship roles as non-commissioned officers (E-5 to E-6), and culminate in operational leadership at master sergeant (E-7). Upon promotion to senior master sergeant and chief master sergeant, the service says Guardians become “Space Force Specialty Code agnostic,” allowing them to take on wide-ranging institutional leadership roles regardless of their original specialty.

“This framework is intended to cultivate the skills we need in our World-Class Master Sergeants,” said Chief Master Sgt. of the Space Force John Bentivegna. “The Space Force of the future will need Guardians who are subject matter experts, but also experienced at teaching, training, and mentorship. If we get this development right, we will naturally have the talent to cultivate E-8 and E-9s. But it all starts with ensuring our force understands their role at every level.”

The initiative aligns with broader efforts by the nation’s youngest military branch—established in 2019—to formalize professional development pathways distinct from its parent service, the Air Force, while meeting the demands of an increasingly competitive space domain. Space Force leaders frame the new framework as a people-centered approach to sharpening the service’s edge, linking training, education, and development to support U.S. interests in and through space.