U.S. Space Force May Become a Possibility for a Few Naval Academy Graduates

Capt. Ryan Vickers stands for a photo to display his new service tapes after taking his oath of office to transfer from the U.S. Air Force to the U.S. Space Force on Sept. 1, 2020, at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. U.S. AIR FORCE / Staff Sgt. Kayla White

ARLINGTON, Va. — In the future, a commission in the U.S. Space Force may be a possibility for a few new graduates of the U.S. Naval Academy (USNA). 

“USNA graduates select commissions into the Navy or Marine Corps,” said Cmdr. Alana Garas, a Naval Academy spokeswoman, in a statement to Seapower.  “All midshipmen are eligible to request interservice commissions into other services. This is separate from the service assignment process.  We expect future graduates of USNA to be able to request commissions in the U.S. Space Force, although it remains unclear if the Department of the Air Force will accept any Space Force interservice commission requests from the class of 2021.” 
 
Garas said there are no quotas for any service regarding interservice commissions, “although there is a ceiling of 3% of the graduating class which can be accepted.” 


She said the “U.S. Air Force Academy will serve as the primary commissioning service academy for the U.S. Space Force (both Department of the Air Force) in the same manner as the U.S. Naval Academy is the primary commissioning service academy for the U.S. Marine Corps (both Department of the Navy).” 
 
USNA graduates have long been eligible to request commissions in the U.S. Air Force. 

“USNA graduates will continue to be able to request interservice commissions into the U.S. Air Force,” Garas said.  “The last U.S. Air Force commission from USNA was one graduate in the class of 2020.” 

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Richard R. Burgess, Senior Editor