CMSSF John Bentivegna - From Imposter Syndrome to Chief of the Space Force

John Bentivegna didn’t plan to spend 30 years in the military. He joined the Air Force with a simple goal: serve a few years, earn veteran’s preference, and come back to New Jersey to become a firefighter. Instead, that four-year contract turned into a career that eventually led him to become the Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force, the senior enlisted leader of the newest branch of the U.S. military. In this conversation, Bentivegna looks back at the moments that shaped how he leads. The early mistakes. The confidence he had to grow into. The uncomfortable jump from working tactical problems on base to sitting at the table where strategy and national security decisions happen. He also shares the lesson many leaders learn the hard way: the job eventually changes. You stop climbing the ladder yourself and start building it for the people coming behind you. FOLLOW,

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CMSSF John Bentivegna - From Imposter Syndrome to Chief of the Space Force is an episode from Moments in Leadership by David B. Armstrong.

This episode is 60:00 long.

This episode was published on Apr 8, 2026.

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