Space Force Sets Mandatory Wear Date for PT Uniform, Service Dress Remains Optional

The Space Force put Guardians on notice to purchase the service’s new physical training gear uniform by the end of January, but it isn’t ready to set a mandatory wear date for its new service dress uniform.

New guidance released in a Jan. 9 memo includes updates to SPFI 36-2903, the Space Force instruction governing dress and personal appearance, regarding the wear guidelines for the new Space Force service dress uniform, which is designed to replace the modified Air Force uniform that Guardians have worn since the service’s inception.

USSF will set a mandatory wear date for service dress uniform “once the uniform is widely available to all Guardians and full sustainment levels are achieved,” the memo states. Guardians will get a minimum of 12 months’ advance notice prior to the mandatory wear date to ensure adequate time for procurement and transition.

Officials previously said they expect the uniform to be available to all Guardians by June 2026. Already it has been rolled out to Guardians in highly visible positions such as recruiters, military training instructors, Honor Guard, White House social aides, senior leaders, and Reserve Officer Training Corps cadets, as well as Guardians graduating basic military training and officer training school.

For now, purchase and wear of the service dress uniform will remain optional for most Guardians, but all personnel transferring into the Space Force will be required to purchase the new uniform effective Jan. 15, 2026.

Defined by its dark blue coat, upturned collar, and diagonal row of buttons, the new uniform has been refined since its initial prototype debuted at AFA’s Air, Space & Cyber Conference in September 2021. Feedback from Guardians prompted Space Force to make several design adjustments that included better fitting pants, a redesigned collar, and a better-draping fabric that resulted in an improved overall fit.

The new uniform, which features dark gray pants and a lighter gray shirt, will be a “significant step in establishing the service’s unique culture and visual identity,” Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman said in a Jan. 14 press release.

“Our service dress uniform represents the unique identity of Guardians, blending heritage with a modern design that reflects our unity and mission,” Saltzman said. “From the start, Guardian feedback shaped its design and fit. I know the force will wear it with pride.”

PT Gear

While the service dressGuardians will soon be required to wear service’s new physical training gear, or PTG, uniform. The mandatory wear date for the PTG uniform is Feb. 1, 2026, according to the guidance memo.

Space Force rolled out the final version of the new uniform in March 2024. It features black shorts, a dark gray T-shirt, black sweatpants, and a black windbreaker. “Space Force” is displayed on the back of the shirt and “USSF” is printed on the sleeves of the shirt and jacket. The Space Force Delta logo is also displayed on the left side of each item.

The Space Force first unveiled its PT uniform for wear-testing in September 2021. Second Lt. Mahala Norris, an NCAA track star at the Air Force Academy, sported the gear in a promotional video shown to the audience at the Air, Space & Cyber Conference.

The uniform is made from a soft, quick-drying, antimicrobial, “performance” fabric designed to wick moisture and control odors. The cost of the uniform began being calculated into the Guardian uniform replacement allowance in April 2024. 

The guidance memo also states that Guardians are now authorized to wear the operational camouflage pattern, or OCP, boonie cap in garrison at the discretion of the unit commander.

Only officers are authorized to display rank insignia centered on the front of the boonie hat. Enlisted personnel are only authorized to wear a name tape, positioned on the back of the hat, according to the memo.