Space Force Guardians have finally received their own physical training uniforms that will distinguish their identity while working out and while at basic military training.
On March 8, trainees at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland's Guardian boot camp were the first to receive the new uniforms, which included breathable, moisture-wicking black shorts, a quick-drying gray T-shirt and a black tracksuit. All pieces of clothing have the Space Force emblem, as well as "USSF," on the sleeves.
"This is more than a uniform rollout, this is the first finalized, service-specific uniform that Guardians can wear with pride," Maj. Gen. Steven Whitney, Space Force director of staff, said in a news release.
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The Space Force first unveiled the look of their physical training uniforms in September 2021, and officials were "overcoming material shortages and supply chain delays stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic," but were finally able to bring it across the finish line nearly three years later, the service said in the press release.
New physical training uniforms come as the service starts to implement its own culture for basic military training and continues to test innovative ways to keep their Guardians, who do a lot of their work behind a desk, in shape.
The Space Force announced in May it will also conduct a two-year testing period on wearable fitness trackers as part of its newly unveiled fitness policy.
The service will start the assessment of wearable technology this month, and use will be voluntary, according to a press release. It will work with the Air Force Research Laboratory to develop the guidelines for the wearable devices, with the aim of regularly monitoring fitness and wellness of Guardians.
It will be composed of three elements: a voluntary continuous fitness assessment study, which involves wearable fitness technology; performance health optimization, which includes preventive medicine; and education, which is aimed at teaching Guardians good health habits.
New uniforms also come as the Space Force has been working to establish its own basic military training culture.
In October 2020, Guardians began attending basic military training with airmen at San Antonio-Lackland. By the following December, the first seven Space Force Guardians were trained by Air Force drill instructors and graduated alongside airmen. The experience was barely distinct from troops enlisted into their sister service branch. They were simply given a Microsoft tablet with materials about the Space Force to study.
In 2021, the service created the 1st Delta Operations Squadron Detachment 1 to formulate its own training, curriculum and standards.
Military.com embedded in 2022 with Guardians for the first-ever separate and specialized Space Force boot camp and wrote a three-part series examining the changes. It served as a litmus test for how the new military service was growing and changing, and was a public-facing opportunity for the Space Force to identify and decide what defines a Guardian.
Now, eight dedicated Space Force drill instructors graduate around 500 Guardians each year, with a service-specific curriculum ranging from the subtleties of emotional intelligence to the intricacies of space warfare.
Physical training uniform delivery will begin in the next several months at "Peterson, Schriever, Buckley, Vandenberg, and Patrick Space Force bases, Los Angeles Air Force Base, and the Pentagon," the service said in the press release.
Guardians will follow the same guidelines as the U.S. Air Force's Dress and Personal Appearance instruction for wearing the new uniforms "until a standalone Space Force Instruction for Dress and Appearance is released later this year," the service said.
Cost of the new uniforms will be calculated into the Guardian's allowances starting this upcoming April. Guardians are asked to buy just one set of the uniform to start due to limited supplies at the beginning of the rollout.
"The Space Force is committed to making the Guardian experience something that our service members can be proud of," Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force John Bentivegna said in a press release. "The uniform connects Guardians to each other and their service. It represents our spirit and our strength operating as one team."
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