The U.S. Space Force’s new service dress uniform made its official debut on Dec. 18, when the service’s latest crop of basic training graduates donned the attire.
The ceremony, held at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, marks the first time trainees were authorized to wear the service dress uniform instead of prototypes.
“Graduates completed BMT wearing the Space Force service dress uniform, symbolizing the service’s distinct identity while standing shoulder to shoulder with their United States Air Force teammates,” Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force John F. Bentivegna wrote in a Dec. 19 Facebook post following the ceremony.
The new uniform was first worn by the recruit class during a Nov. 19 fitting, nearly six years after the Space Force’s founding and following four years of development.
The Dec. 19 BMT graduation ceremony came two weeks after the service’s newly commissioned officer trainees graduated from Officer Training School at Maxwell Air Base, Alabama, wearing the new dress uniforms.
The new uniform was fashioned after four design years filled with various prototypes, testing periods and service member feedback.
The uniform consists of a dark blue jacket with a matching-colored tie and cap, paired with grey pants, with a skirt option for women.
The jacket, worn atop a white colored shirt, has a diagonal line of silver buttons up to the guardian’s right shoulder.
“This milestone reflects more than a uniform change,” Bentivegna said in the social media post. “It represents the strength of a shared training foundation and the future focused mission these guardians are stepping into.”
The rollout process for the uniform will continue into 2026, with the opportunity granted to select groups, like recruiters and training instructors, per a Space Force memo released in September.
This phased approach allows guardians time before a mandatory-wear date is enacted by the force.
“Our guardians are our top priority, and this phased approach reflects that,” Bentivegna said in the September release. “It allows us to proactively address potential challenges in production and distribution while also providing guardians with ample time to acquire the new uniform.”
Cristina Stassis is an editorial fellow for Defense News and Military Times, where she covers stories surrounding the defense industry, national security, military/veteran affairs and more. She is currently studying journalism and mass communication and international affairs at the George Washington University.
