Up to 420 Guardians a year will study in College Station for responsibilities in an increasingly contested domain

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BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Texas A&M University will help prepare officers to lead U.S. military operations in space for the next decade, giving the university a central role in developing leaders for one of the nation’s most consequential national security missions.

The U.S. Space Force has chosen Texas A&M to continue hosting its Captains Leadership Course through 2036. Beginning in fiscal year 2027, the four-week resident program will instruct up to seven cohorts of 60 students each, serving as many as 420 Guardians annually.

Space systems support military communications, navigation, missile warning, intelligence and operations across every branch of the armed forces. As that domain becomes more contested, the Space Force is building its own professional military education program to prepare officers to lead people, make sound decisions and integrate space expertise across the joint force.

“National security depends on technology, but it depends first on leaders with judgment and character,” said Robert Albritton, chairman of the Board of Regents of The Texas A&M University System. “The Space Force could have taken this mission anywhere. It chose Texas A&M, and we intend to justify that confidence.”

Texas A&M was competitively selected in 2025 and has successfully conducted six cohorts of the Captains Leadership Course this year. It is the Space Force’s first professional military education program designed specifically for captains and independent of Air Force instruction.

“Texas A&M has always understood that leadership is built through service, discipline and a commitment to something larger than oneself,” President Susan Ballabina said. “We are proud to help prepare Space Force captains for the responsibilities they will carry and to bring Texas A&M’s expertise to a mission vital to our nation’s security.”

Space Training and Readiness Command, known as STARCOM, oversees the course through Space Delta 13. Space Force instructors teach space readiness and joint military integration. Faculty from Texas A&M’s Bush School of Government and Public Service, working with the Corps of Cadets’ Hollingsworth Center for Ethical Leadership, provide instruction in leadership and communication.

“We have been honored to host the first six cohorts of the Captains Leadership Course, and we look forward to working with the Space Force to provide world-class instruction to many more Guardian officers,” said John B. Sherman, dean of the Bush School.

Before joining Texas A&M, Sherman worked extensively with the Space Force in positions with the U.S. intelligence community and the then-Department of Defense.

The leadership mission adds to the A&M System’s unusually broad national security portfolio. The A&M System is part of the teams that manage and operate Los Alamos National Laboratory and the Pantex Plant for the federal government. Texas A&M is also building a major engineering presence at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, while researchers across the System work in space systems, hypersonics, nuclear security, cybersecurity and other defense priorities.

“The A&M System is already helping secure the country through our work at Los Alamos, Pantex and across the defense and space sectors,” said Glenn Hegar, chancellor of The Texas A&M University System. “Now the Space Force is asking Texas A&M to help develop the people who will lead in space for the next decade. That is the kind of responsibility this System was built to take on.”

Texas A&M is one of six Senior Military Colleges in the nation and commissions more officers into the U.S. Armed Forces than any university outside the federal service academies. It is also one of a small number of universities holding land-grant, sea-grant and space-grant designations.

The Space Force and Texas A&M formalized the partnership through a 10-year intergovernmental support agreement. Building on the success of the Captains Leadership Course, the two institutions may pursue other training and education services specified in the agreement, including mutually beneficial cost-sharing initiatives.

About The Texas A&M University System
The Texas A&M University System is one of the largest and most impactful higher education systems in the country, with an annual budget of $9.1 billion. Its statewide network includes 12 universities, a comprehensive health science center, eight state agencies, Texas A&M–Fort Worth and the Texas A&M–RELLIS Campus. The A&M System also plays a direct role in U.S. national security as a member of the teams that manage and operate Los Alamos National Laboratory and the Pantex Plant for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration. The A&M System serves approximately 175,000 students and reaches millions more through research, service and outreach programs each year. With nearly $1.6 billion in annual research expenditures, the A&M System fuels innovation, supports communities and drives Texas’ economy forward.

Media Contact:
Chris Bryan
Vice Chancellor of Marketing and Communications
cbryan@tamus.edu