Bratton, Bentivegna Mentor Cadets through Doolittle Leadership Center Workshop 

AFA’s Doolittle Leadership Center (DLC) gave around 75 cadets and students a rare opportunity to engage directly with top Space Force leaders at the 2025 AFA Warfare Symposium in Aurora, Colo. Lt. Gen. Shawn Bratton, the Deputy Chief of Space Operations for Strategy, Plans, Programs, and Requirements, and Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force John Bentivegna spent a down-to-earth hour answering the students’ questions and sharing  perspectives and insights on leadership theory, professional development, and the evolving role of the Space Force in the joint military environment. 

This was the DLC’s fourth event in its series of “Senior Mentorship for Junior Leaders” workshops, which are held biannually at each of AFA’s major conferences. The events are exclusive to cadets and students—usually from the U.S. Air Force Academy, ROTC programs, Civil Air Patrol, Arnold Air Society, and Silver Wings—who are encouraged to take advantage of the special opportunity to seek mentorship and guidance on challenges junior officers will face as leaders in their future military careers. in their future military careers. 

Bentivegna opened the 2025 workshop with remarks highlighting the responsibility that comes with military service. He acknowledged the challenges and sacrifices associated with a military career but emphasized that the rewards, both personal and professional, are immeasurable. He encouraged cadets to embrace the military profession as a way of life rather than just a job, highlighting the importance of mentorship and teamwork. 

“There are challenges and sacrifices associated with our line of business, and that is a profession. It’s a military profession of ours … But let me tell you that the rewards that you reap from this line of business is priceless,” said Bentivegna. 

Building on the theme of leadership and enduring impact of military service, Bratton shared a powerful story from 1943 about Lt. Col. Addison Baker, a World War II pilot who showed great leadership and sacrifice during Operation Tidal Wave (or, the Ploesti Raid). His story highlighted the importance of Connection—one of the Space Force’s core values—and demonstrated how modern Space Force technology, such as GPS and missile warning systems, could have prevented the navigation errors that led to his death 75 years ago. Bratton also emphasized that the Space Force does not exist for itself but to support the Air Force, Navy, and other military branches in future conflicts. 

In the Q&A portion of the workshop, one cadet asked how junior officers can help lay the foundation for the future of space operations. Both Bentivegna and Bratton stressed the importance of challenging assumptions, thinking critically, and mastering one’s craft early in their careers. Bratton emphasized that junior officers must be experts in their fields and be prepared to represent the Space Force.  

Another cadet asked what advice the leaders would give to their younger selves at the start of their careers. “I didn’t understand fully, right, the opportunities that laid before me, and the fact that even if I was to stumble and fall in this family, in this connection, in this profession, I have individuals that will pick me right back up, dust me off, and push me on my way,” said Bentivegna. 

Bratton echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the importance of balancing leadership authority with humility and a willingness to learn. 

When asked about handling emotionally charged and high-stress situations, Bentivegna spoke to the importance of rigorous training, mental resilience, and leading by example. He advised cadets to remain calm under pressure, as subordinates look to their leaders for reassurance.  

“That’s why we train so hard—to expose individuals to high-stress environments so that you have the ability to get used to it and have confidence in yourself and know that stress is okay,” he explained. 

Bratton added that self-awareness and a disciplined approach to decision-making are key to effective leadership in challenging moments. Leaders, he said, must remain composed under pressure. 

“One of my favorite compliments someone ever gave me was, ‘When things are going crazy, you never make it worse,’” he said. “You have to understand how to respond when it’s all going off the rails.” 

The DLC’s Senior Mentorship for Junior Leaders workshops continue to be a highlight at AFA’s conferences, both for the junior leaders who attend and the senior leaders who join them. 

“Not only do I see more interest from the cadets at each workshop, but more participation,” said the DLC’s Director Col. Patrick Donley, USAF (Ret.), PhD. “Our Air Force’s and Space Force’s young leaders are hungry for mentorship, and senior leaders like Lieutenant General Bratton and CMSSF Bentivegna are eager to satisfy them. This is truly what mentorship, professional development, and leadership should look like.” 

Learn more about the Doolittle Leadership Center schedule a “Lead, Develop, Care” workshop for your unit or organization by contacting us using the form below.