Information for Families - U.S. Space Force

What to Expect

Many perspectives. One mission.

It takes people from various backgrounds with different skill sets to operate the world's most-advanced space power.

Get in on the ground floor

We are looking for people who are ready to develop the new era of defense.

Your family member can build an amazing career in the Space Force, but joining is an important decision for all parties to consider. If your family member wishes to join, learn more about what they can expect and the diverse opportunities we offer.

Learning about the Space Force can help you and your child decide the right path for their future. Addressing questions and concerns with your child, family and friends can help. Take the time to get the answers you need to make a great decision.

During Military Training

Your family member will spend five to nine weeks in military training, depending on which type they attend: Basic Military Training (BMT), Officer Training School (OTS). Each is very challenging, but allows them opportunities to call, receive mail from and write letters to home.

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Military Training Graduation

As a family member of a Guardian, you’re welcome to attend your family member’s graduation. For enlisted Guardians graduating from Basic Military Training (BMT), ceremonies are held at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. Officer Training School (OTS) graduate ceremonies held at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, and Academy graduates are held at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

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Life on Base

Following training, your family member may attend technical training or be assigned to a base where their skill set can be used. All bases offer the amenities and support your family member’s needs to enjoy a great quality of life, with recreation centers and entertainment options all nearby that are available at lower costs than those off base.

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Stay In Touch

Your Guardian’s base location might change every couple of years. This will heavily depend on their career field and the current needs of the Space Force. Regardless of where your family member is stationed, there are several options for them to keep in touch.

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Our mission is to defend our nation and its freedom to operate in space. With a singular focus on this domain, we train, equip and deploy forces to improve defense technology, global security, communication and provide independent options to achieve national objectives by applying military spacepower.

Guardians attend the same Basic Military Training as enlisted Airmen at Joint Base San Antonio–Lackland, Texas, with the addition of a Space Force–specific curriculum. This includes physical training and testing and 21 hours of instruction covering emotional intelligence, Space Force Structure and senior-leader briefings about military doctrine.

To learn more, visit our Training page.

Space Force offers various careers for enlisted, officer level and civilians across intelligence, analytics, cybersecurity, operations, engineering and acquisitions. All careers center around developing, operating, and defending our advancements through space.

For more information, visit our Careers page.

Both organizations work to improve our capabilities in space but with different directives. NASA is a civil agency that focuses on developing resources for education, exploration, innovation and research, while Space Force is a military service centered around the vital capabilities needed to defend the United States’ interests and freedom to operate in space.

The U.S. Space Force doesn’t currently accept inter-service transfer applications but is currently working on completing the transfers of those already selected. We anticipate announcing a new inter-service transfer program later this summer for transfers beginning in the fiscal year 2023 (Oct. 1, 2022) and beyond.