Developing U.S. Space Force Organizational Culture with Future-Facing Intention

When the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 was passed in December 2019, the U.S. Air Force Space Command was mandated to transform from a command within the U.S. Air Force(USAF) to a separate service within the Department of the Air Force. The U.S. Space Force (USSF) became the first new U.S. military service since the Air Force was established in 1947 and, before that, the U.S. Coast Guard in 1790,157 years prior. Clearly, standing up a new U.S. military service is a rare event, and one with undisputedly long-lasting effects. In this paper, we spotlight how the Space Forces organizational culture embodied by its de facto beliefs, values, and practices will affect its outcomes. Whether fostered deliberately with intention or left to grow haphazardly, this organizational culture will drive the services performance, operational effectiveness, and long-term success.