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August 19, 2026

First Blue Tape Ceremony connects Guardian selects with Space Force mentors

U.S. Air Force Academy Guardian selects replace their Air Force name tape with a Space Force blue name tape during the inaugural Blue Tape Ceremony at Polaris Hall at the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo., Aug. 17, 2026. The ceremony welcomed Guardian selects and connected them with active-duty Guardian mentors as they prepare to commission into the U.S. Space Force. (U.S. Air Force photo by SSgt Michael Ward)
U.S. Air Force Academy Guardian selects replace their Air Force name tape with a Space Force blue name tape during the inaugural Blue Tape Ceremony at Polaris Hall at the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo., Aug. 17, 2026. The ceremony welcomed Guardian selects and connected them with active-duty Guardian mentors as they prepare to commission into the U.S. Space Force. (U.S. Air Force photo by SSgt Michael Ward)

By Tali Burress
U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications

U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – U.S. Air Force Academy cadets selected to join the U.S. Space Force took another step toward becoming Guardians during the Academy’s inaugural Blue Tape Ceremony at Polaris Hall Aug. 17.

The ceremony welcomed the newest Guardian selects and paired them with active-duty Guardian mentors during their final academic year at the Academy. The event was designed around one of the Space Force’s four core values, Connection Toward Unity.

Space Force Col. Stephanie Silva, commander of Space Training and Readiness Command’s Space Delta 1, Detachment 1, said the Academy’s relatively small Guardian population made establishing those relationships early particularly important.

“At an institution where there are only about 40 Guardians serving among more than 4,000 cadets, my team felt it was important to establish an initial connection with this year’s Guardian selects,” Silva said.

The mentors will give Guardian selects a connection to the operational Space Force, providing insight into service culture, future roles, assignments and the transition from cadet to Guardian.

Silva told the cadets they have nine months before commissioning to learn, prepare and develop relationships with the people who may become their teammates, mentors and leaders.

“Connection is not simply about knowing someone,” Silva said. “It is about investing in one another. It is about recognizing that we are stronger together than we are individually.”

U.S. Air Force Academy Guardian select holding their new Space Force name tape at the inaugural Blue Tape Ceremony at Polaris Hall at the Academy, Colo., Aug. 17, 2026. The first-of-its-kind ceremony established an early connection between the Guardian selects and the active-duty Guardians who will serve as mentors as they prepare to commission into the U.S. Space Force. (U.S. Air Force photo by SSgt Michael Ward)
U.S. Air Force Academy Guardian select holding their new Space Force name tape at the inaugural Blue Tape Ceremony at Polaris Hall at the Academy, Colo., Aug. 17, 2026. The first-of-its-kind ceremony established an early connection between the Guardian selects and the active-duty Guardians who will serve as mentors as they prepare to commission into the U.S. Space Force. (U.S. Air Force photo by SSgt Michael Ward)

A visible step toward service

During the ceremony, Guardian selects received blue name tapes identifying them with the service they will join after graduation. Silva encouraged the cadets to view the blue tapes as more than a change to their uniforms.

“See them as a connection,” Silva said. “See the people who came before you and built the foundation you are inheriting. See the teammates who will stand beside you.”

Cadet 1st Class Ethan Smallridge, an Astronautical Engineering major, said receiving his blue name tapes made the transition to the Space Force feel more immediate.

“Putting on our blue name tapes made graduation a much closer reality than I think some of us realized,” Smallridge said. “Being surrounded by active-duty Guardians made it feel even more special as we were able to connect with the people we will be serving with in just a few short months.”

U.S. Space Force Maj Peter Spittler addresses U.S. Air Force Academy Guardian selects during the inaugural Blue Tape Ceremony at Polaris Hall at the Academy, Colo., Aug. 17, 2026. Spittler is one of the active-duty Guardian mentors paired with Guardian selects to provide insight into the operational Space Force and help prepare them for the transition from cadet to Guardian. (U.S. Air Force photo by SSgt Michael Ward)
U.S. Space Force Maj Peter Spittler addresses U.S. Air Force Academy Guardian selects during the inaugural Blue Tape Ceremony at Polaris Hall at the Academy, Colo., Aug. 17, 2026. Spittler is one of the active-duty Guardian mentors paired with Guardian selects to provide insight into the operational Space Force and help prepare them for the transition from cadet to Guardian. (U.S. Air Force photo by SSgt Michael Ward)

Joining a young military service

The Guardian selects will enter a service that turns seven years old this year, with aspects of its culture and traditions still taking shape. Silva told the cadets that distinction gives them an opportunity to help shape the service they will soon join.

“You aren’t simply joining an established service with hundreds of years of history and traditions already written for you,” Silva said. “You are joining the founding generation.”

For the Guardian selects, joining a relatively young service means preparing not only to contribute to its evolving culture and traditions, but also to the missions and technical operations they will soon support.

“My generation has the responsibility of continuing the work that was started by those before us, and that carries significant weight,” Smallridge said.

As future Guardians, the cadets will also become representatives of a service that remains unfamiliar to some Americans. Silva encouraged them to understand the Space Force mission and be prepared to explain it to others.

“You are now an ambassador for the Space Force,” Silva said. “When you put on your blue tapes here in just a few minutes, you will stand out among your classmates.”

The blue tapes also serve as a visible connection between the Guardian selects and the service they will enter following graduation.

Guardian select, Cadet 1st Class Nicholas Capannelli, wears a new Space Force blue name tape following the inaugural Blue Tape Ceremony at Polaris Hall at the Academy, Colo., Aug. 17, 2026. The blue name tape visibly identifies the cadet as a Guardian select as they prepare to commission into the U.S. Space Force. (U.S. Air Force photo by SSgt Michael Ward)
Guardian select, Cadet 1st Class Nicholas Capannelli, wears a new Space Force blue name tape following the inaugural Blue Tape Ceremony at Polaris Hall at the Academy, Colo., Aug. 17, 2026. The blue name tape visibly identifies the cadet as a Guardian select as they prepare to commission into the U.S. Space Force. (U.S. Air Force photo by SSgt Michael Ward)

Preparing the next generation of Guardians

The inaugural Blue Tape Ceremony adds another milestone to the path Academy cadets take toward joining the Space Force. Before graduation, the Guardian selects will participate in the Space Force Patching Ceremony, where they receive the service patch they will wear after commissioning.

Until then, the active-duty Guardians serving at the Academy will provide the selects with a direct connection to the operational service they are preparing to enter.

For Smallridge, wearing the blue name tape represents both the service he is preparing to join and the responsibility that comes with helping shape its future.

“Ten to 20 years from now, I hope to have contributed to the development of the USSF in a way that inspires future generations to serve,” Smallridge said.

See more photos of the Blue Tape Ceremony on Flickr.