The US Space Force filled just 13,500 of 18,000 required positions in fiscal 2025, a 25 percent shortfall driven partly by the service’s lack of a consistent process to determine personnel needs, according to a new Government Accountability Office report.
The GAO found that the Space Force has not established guidance to consistently and accurately determine staffing requirements for its missions. The service also lacks a process to accurately measure contractor personnel numbers and the nature of work they perform, the watchdog wrote in findings published Tuesday.
Senior officials identified critical shortages in cyberspace expertise and intelligence analyst roles. The Space Force also relies heavily on the Air Force for support functions, and investigators found a 22 percent shortfall in Air Force-provided support personnel, increasing mission risk.
“Without such a plan, the Space Force may not be able to systematically plan for and manage a workforce that meets current and future mission needs,” the GAO wrote. One Space Launch Delta official reported that supporting increased launch operations is becoming unsustainable, with one base forced to close a fire station due to staffing issues.
The report comes as service leaders push to double the number of guardians and seek a $71 billion budget. The GAO warned that major initiatives like the Golden Dome missile defense system will further strain the understaffed acquisition workforce. The Defense Department concurred with all four of the GAO’s recommendations, including establishing a proper process for determining personnel requirements.
