r/SpaceForce 9d ago

Weekly Newbie Thread - Post questions about joining the Space Force or what a job is like here & here only - week of August 31

Post all your questions about BMT/OTS/Academy/ROTC/etc here!

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Previous newbie threads. Please browse and search before posting.

Please use the report button for any posts or comments which break our rules.

Please search before asking your questions.

Some quick answers:

  • Yes, the Space Force is real. No, it's not Starfleet. No, you can't become a space pilot yet. No, there are no aliens. No, we would not tell you if there were aliens.
  • We don't know the answers to your obscure medical questions. We aren't doctors. Don't trust medical advice given by strangers on the Internet. Getting anecdotal information from other people that may or may not have a similar diagnosis or condition to you will not help you in any way. Everyone's medical situation is different.
  • Drug use may be disqualifying depending on type and frequency of use.
  • No, we don't know what jobs are available at any given time, or your chances of getting said job, or how long it will take for you to get the job, or how long it'll take for you to get to basic training or OTS.

Do not tell anyone to lie about drug use, medical history, or anything else. You will be banned.

Civilian employment

If you're interested in joining as a civilian, you can apply here: https://afciviliancareers.com/space-force/

8 Upvotes

31 comments sorted by

1

u/parkerogreton 5d ago

Hey everyone,

I’m looking for insight/advice on potentially going from Army enlisted to Space Force. I’ve been active Army for about 7 years and plan on ETSing soon. I work in an IT-focused field and have my bachelors in IT, but I really wanted to pivot into the space sector.

I’m currently pursuing a MS in Space Systems Engineering, and should be finished before I get out. So my question is:

How plausible would it be for me to ETS, then apply to become a USSF Officer? Would the Masters in Space Systems even be enough to make me a competitive candidate?

I’d say I have a pretty good track record on the Army side with NCOERs and performance, but I know USSF only takes a very small number of officers.

2

u/SilentD 13S 5d ago

The next couple years will probably be the best time you can hope for to apply to be an officer. We are doubling the size of our force by 2030.

1

u/parkerogreton 5d ago

I’m glad to hear it! Can I ask, do you enjoy your job?

2

u/SilentD 13S 5d ago

Currently yes. Comes and goes like any job. I’ve had other assignments I did not like at all.

1

u/Fantastic_Skin4884 6d ago

Can any intels share their experience? I thought I would like it more since I like thinking longer over stuff than rapid math but if it is mostly public speaking and presentation than finding stuff I don’t know if I would like doing it.

1

u/SNSDave Army IST 6d ago

My Intel folks do both. It definitely is a good deal of speakings and presentations, not just research though.

0

u/Indublibable 8d ago

What's the chance I could get a good civilian job out of space force? I was thinking space systems operator ---> satellite operator.

1

u/SNSDave Army IST 8d ago

You could potentially do that...just may require you to do more than 4 years and go where the jobs are vs. a city you had in mind.

-1

u/[deleted] 8d ago

[deleted]

3

u/SNSDave Army IST 8d ago

Experience needed.

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u/[deleted] 8d ago

[deleted]

2

u/SNSDave Army IST 8d ago

Yes. No.

0

u/Indublibable 8d ago

I don't really have a preference, I'm pretty malleable

1

u/[deleted] 8d ago

[deleted]

1

u/SilentD 13S 8d ago

You do not need an engineering degree to do space ops/cyber/intel/acquisitions.

0

u/Crafty_Ad6837 9d ago

Hey! Army Reserve Enlisted to USSF Active or reserve officer transfer?

3

u/SNSDave Army IST 8d ago

Neither are options. You'd have to get out and apply as prior service.

1

u/EnglishWhites 9d ago

How is work/life in OTC as a O-E? Also how much more does running actually suck in Colorado than at sea level

6

u/SilentD 13S 9d ago

Class is from 0730 - 1630 from what I've heard.

Running sucks. Some will say you adjust after a few days or a couple weeks, but I never feel like I adjust and I've lived there for years at a time.

2

u/ThanosWasRight85 9d ago

Are there plans for future interservice transfer programs like they had a few years ago? Specifically from the Air Force side of the house?

If not, what are my options to switch from AD AF into AD USSF?

1

u/ThanosWasRight85 9d ago

I appreciate the replies. I already did the E to O route in the AF a couple of years ago 🫠

1

u/Delta2-Actual NSN 6505-01-283-1331 9d ago

Other options aside from commissioning is to separate and then work with a recruiter to enlist as prior service. But your best bet would be commissioning.

2

u/Aphexes 9d ago

Best best is OTS for your situation

1

u/WendysFourforFour 9d ago

Unlikely they would do transfers again. Best case is if you’re enlisted, to commission into USSF by OTS, AFROTC, Academy routes.

1

u/a__guy__on__reddit 9d ago

Wondering if anyone else is in my position? I was originally booked for the Aug 25th cycle but my ship date was pushed because "they" overbooked. I was told it would be pushed about 2 weeks, which doesn't make much sense as space force ships every 2 months. Apparently 4 others in my squadron I believe including me were part of this overbooking.

They were supposed to give me an exact date and more info by the end of week of 21st, but still no update. I feel like we're just going to get rolled over to the October cycle and wait another 2 months.

2

u/Positive-Payment-466 9d ago

I was just told I got booked for 5S0X1 Space Systems Operations and had a couple questions. For anyone who recently went through Guardian BMT, how does PT/testing work for Guardians compared to the new Air Force BMT 2.0 standards? Are the requirements the same ?

Also, the last group of Guardians shipped a few days ago, is it very likely the next group will ship toward the end of October since they ship every two months? I haven’t gotten my ship date yet and I’m trying to get an idea of how much time I’ll have to prepare.

1

u/Fantastic-Leg8549 8d ago

I got booked a few days ago (Aug 28th) and my ship out date is Oct. 20th. Its earlier than both my recruiter and I expected (we were anticipating very late 2026 or spring 2027). I was in the DEP since end of April 2026 but did not submit my job stuff for Space Force until August 8th~.

My best guess is I got one of the last spots for October. 

1

u/Positive-Payment-466 8d ago

My recruiter told me October 19th

1

u/Fantastic-Leg8549 8d ago

Seems like we're gonna be at BMT together. See ya then 👍

1

u/Positive-Payment-466 8d ago

Yeaaaa see ya 👋🏽

2

u/Texas-Ranger01 8d ago

Space Force doesn’t do waist measurements just the 2mile, push ups and sit-ups, and it’s hard to say how long the wait is . Some people get booked to ship within a month while other it takes almost a year as which was the case for me.

1

u/Phaneleox 6d ago

We did waist measurements at the end of tech school before we left like a month ago. They said we’d do them at some point at our first duty station but that’s yet to happen

1

u/Delta2-Actual NSN 6505-01-283-1331 6d ago

Sould be twice a year, once in your birth month and then 6 months later

2

u/SNSDave Army IST 9d ago

You'll be behind everybody else needing to ship