ARLINGTON, Va. (AFNS) — Chief Master Sgt. John F. Bentivegna was selected May 5 to become the next Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force.

Bentivegna is currently serving as the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chief Operations Officer and the Enlisted Space Systems Operations Career Field Manager at Headquarters Space Force, Washington D.C.

In making his selection, Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman said, “I needed someone that would bring a perspective on our future that was articulated differently from mine.”

“Someone who could (and would) challenge my assumptions and ensure that important issues were evaluated from multiple angles and would catch things I missed,” Saltzman continued. “All the candidates had tremendous experience, skills, and expertise and it made it a close run.”

This was an open selection process and any Space Force chief master sergeant with 22 years’ time in service and three years’ time in grade could apply.

Saltzman selected Bentivegna from a group of five candidates who underwent a four-day evaluation process that vetted their skills and leadership capabilities. The process, along with personal interviews with each candidate, helped Saltzman make his final decision by giving him data on how the chiefs performed in various exercises and assessments.

“Chief Bentivegna brings a wealth of operational experience, a dedication to caring for our Guardians, and the spirit needed to take our service to the next level,” Saltzman said.

Bentivegna has been a space operator for more than 25 years, and has held positions at the squadron, group, wing, Numbered Air Force, Field Command and Headquarters Air and Space Force levels.

“It’s overwhelming and incredibly humbling to be offered the opportunity to become the next Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force” Bentivegna explained. “I am really excited to have that opportunity to work next to General Saltzman to help fulfill his vision for where the service needs to go.”

“We have run really fast to develop the service and shape what it’s going to be,” Bentivegna continued. “We have charted a vision for the future, and I want to deliver that vision to our Guardians and the joint force. I know this is going to take collaboration, communication, policy and processes to make that happen. I am humbled that I get to be the one to champion these efforts for them in the future.”

As the next CMSSF, Bentivegna will be appointed as the Space Force’s highest noncommissioned officer position, making him only the second person in history to hold the title.

“Chief Towberman was the first Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force, and there was no one better to guide us through that initial launch phase of the Space Force. Just like actual space launch, there’s a lot of anticipation, it’s exciting, it’s energetic, it’s violent, but it was also so critically important,” Bentivegna said. “He was the enlisted leader that got us out of the atmosphere and into orbit. Now I’ll have the opportunity to work with our Guardians to continue getting them combat ready.”

“He’s been right here with us every step of the way,” said Chief Master Sgt. of the Space Force Roger A. Towberman. “He knows where we’ve been and believes in where we’re going. I couldn’t be happier for our Guardians or more proud of how it’s all coming together. He’s exactly who we need right now.”

Bentivegna joined the U.S. Air Force August 1994, and transferred into the U.S. Space Force September 2020.  He started his career as a Precision Measurement Equipment Lab Technician in McGuire Air Force Base, N.J., before cross-training to become a space operator in 1998. He eventually went on to serve in several command chief assignments and served as the senior enlisted leader for Space Operations Command at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado before his current position.

As the CMSSF, Bentivegna will act as the personal advisor to the CSO and the Secretary of the Air Force on all issues regarding the welfare, readiness, morale, proper utilization, and development of the Space Force. He will also provide direction for the enlisted force and represent their interests, as appropriate, to the American public and to those in all levels of government.

By Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs

A spacesuit prototype of what NASA Astronauts, including the first woman, plan to wear on the surface of the Moon during the agency’s NASA Artemis III mission was revealed today by Axiom Space.

The Artemis III spacesuit, the AxEMU, is showcased in a dark gray cover material, but the final version will likely be all-white when worn by NASA astronauts on the Moon’s surface, to help keep the astronauts safe and cool while working in the harsh environment of space.

NASA selected Axiom Space to deliver a moonwalking system to land the first astronauts near the lunar South Pole. By working with commercial partners, NASA is enabling a growing space economy that leverages industry capabilities and NASA’s expertise to provide spacewalk and moonwalk services as safely, effectively, and efficiently as possible.

New spacesuits allow humans to explore the lunar surface and advance our capability for human exploration in space. Under Artemis, new exploration spacesuits and other human surface mobility systems, along with the Space Launch System rocket, the Orion Spacecraft, Exploration Ground Systems facilities, Gateway lunar space station, and human landing systems, will enable NASA to return humans to the Moon and establish a long-term presence there for scientific discovery. This experience prepares us for the next giant leap: sending astronauts to Mars.

– Johnson Space Center

SCHRIEVER SPACE FORCE BASE, Colo. — The Colorado Air National Guard’s 138th Space Control Squadron, in conjunction with the National Space Test and Training Complex, conducted a training event named “Neptune Falcon,” which took place at Schriever Space Force Base, Colorado Springs, Colorado, to test new capabilities for meeting wartime objectives in the space domain. 

The exercise, held over 10 days in October 2022 at a newly created forward operating base by Airmen of the 138th, simulated real-world expeditionary operations and prepared them for upcoming deployments. 
 
“This is a Secretary of Defense level joint interoperability exercise that includes aircraft from Air Combat Command, space participants from the 138th Space Control Squadron, Colorado Air National Guard, and the 25th Space Range Squadron, as well as a host of other participants,” U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Andy Gold, commander,138th SPCS, said. 
 
There have been many significant milestones that the 138th SPCS has led along the way, according to Gold. 
 
“This is the first time a U.S. Air Force or Air National Guard weapons system has ever connected to the Range Closed Loop Environment,” Maj. Matthew Thampy, assistant director of operations, 25th Space Range Squadron, said. “The RCLE provides a highly realistic electronic warfare system to train and test our systems.” 
 
This is also the first time the RCLE has been requested by a combatant command to support a joint interoperability exercise, such as Neptune Falcon. Additionally, this marks the first Total Force event (integration of Active Duty and Reserve forces) in which the combatant command and Air National Guard unit employed the RCLE, paving the way for future support for the broader Department of Defense need of realistic, dynamic environments to support the warfighter. 
 
“During this exercise, we are training to deal with crew dynamics, tactics, techniques, and procedures, as well as getting hands-on system time,”  U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Lindsey Sequoia, 138th SPCS space control operator, and Neptune Falcon participant, said. “Getting that practice on how to respond in a real-world scenario is invaluable to me.” 
 
Neptune Falcon also signifies a key Total Force Integration partnership for future training and test events involving the National Guard Bureau, Space Operations Command, and Space Training and Readiness Command. 
 
“Events like this also meet key U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force directives for highly realistic training events/scenarios in preparing Guardians, Airmen for war,” Thampy said. 
 
The 138th SPCS stood up in May 2019 and has rapidly improved the training environment to create the most realistic wartime scenarios possible, preparing space professionals for future wartime missions. Forward Operating Base Schriever is the latest iteration of technological advances in training for the members, which creates a superior training environment never before experienced by Air National Guard or Active Duty space warriors.

By Mr. John Rohrer, 140th Wing Public Affairs

Schriever Space Force Base, Colo. —

The Orbital Defense Initiation, or ODIN, is Space Delta 9’s initial training course where new members gain common knowledge on orbital mechanics, warfare principles, current threats to space assets and more.

However, their most recent graduation included Guardians wearing patches other than DEL 9’s.

The three ODIN graduates from Space Delta 6’s 69th Cyber Squadron are part of a U.S. Space Force initiative to embed cyber and intel capabilities into space operations squadrons to speed up decision making and improve readiness. They will work side-by-side space operators and intelligence experts, providing cyber capability to operational missions.

“It’s important for cyber operators to have the same fundamental orbital warfare knowledge base as the space operators. It allows them to better understand and react to the issues that space operators encounter every day,” said USSF Capt. Melanie Mohseni, ODIN deputy flight commander. “It’s also necessary to have cyber expertise on the operations floor so that when we encounter cyber issues, we have those subject matter experts helping the crew commander make decisions.”

The 69th CYS is one of several squadrons being formed from the 61st CYS and aligned under DEL 6 administratively.

“We exist to defend their terrain. The mission of 69 CYS is to enable the protect and defend mission of Delta 9 through active cyber defense,” said USSF Lt. Col. Shane Warren, 61st CYS commander.

Space operations involves around-the-clock missions, with operational squadrons continuously manned. This initiative puts the right expertise in the room instead of on-call. Cyber operators attending a delta’s initial training course ensures everyone can speak the same language.

“It helps our operators to know what normal looks like,” said Warren. “If they see indicators that something doesn’t look normal in the terrain they’re monitoring, because they’re trained and sitting side-by-side, they can determine if there is potentially malicious activity and what can we do to stop it.”

The knowledge sharing flows in both directions. The space operators are getting more in-depth cyber knowledge as well.

“The first thing I discussed with the three recent ODIN cyber grads was them helping us develop a Cyber curriculum,” said Mohseni.

Since the initiative is at the ground level, DEL 6 is allowing many Guardians the chance to have a voice in their assigned operational cyber squadron, numbered in the 60’s to match the delta they support, with the 69th CYS supporting DEL 9, the 68th CYS supporting DEL 8 and so on.

“We describe to the Guardians, ‘this is the Space Domain Awareness mission, this is the Electromagnetic Warfare mission, this is the SATCOM mission,’ and ask, ‘What interests you the most?’,” said Warren.

According to Warren, there are roughly 175 Guardians in the 61st Cyber Squadron, with a large portion assigned to active and future squadrons according to their own inputs.

This initiative is not just making space operations squadrons more capable, it is also providing force development for the future of the USSF.

“This is how we develop senior master sergeants in the Space Force. We’ve tried to go beyond ‘I’m cyber, you’re intel.’ In the Space Force, we all work on space,” said USSF Senior Master Sgt. Charles Presley, 69th CYS superintendent. “A superintendent for a Space Force squadron could come from any operational background, so it’s important to expose the next generation of enlisted leaders to all aspects of the space enterprise as early in their career as possible.”

As the USSF builds its culture and forges its own identity, Guardians in cyber are one step closer. They are a weapon system, practicing their craft to safeguard and enhance the space mission.

“You can see the spark in these Guardian’s eyes when they come in,” said Warren. “They’re definitely excited, and we’ve got some really talented Guardians.”

DEL 6 plans to have cyber squadrons embedded in other space deltas, expanding capabilities to more USSF missions, in the near future, eventually shaping a future where everybody is looking at the same problem through different lenses, tackling the same problem with different skillsets.

By Mike Slater, Space Base Delta 1 Public Affairs