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Leadership of Space Operations Command

The commander of Space Operations Command is a lieutenant general who leads the field command that provide space forces to the United States Space Command and supports other unified combatant commands. A senior leader in the Space Force, it is only one of three field commanders and, of which, only one of two held by a lieutenant general.

SpOC emblem

Space Operations Command (SpOC) was established by redesignating the Air Force Space Command as Space Operations Command, which was redesignated prior as Headquarters, United States Space Force to serve in transitional capacity as the new service's headquarters. The commander of SpOC, thus, can be traced back to 1 September 1982, when General James V. Hartinger served as the first commander of Space Command.[1]

Like any other three-star officer position in the U.S. Armed Forces, the commander of SpOC is nominated by the president of the United States and must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate. The current commander of SpOC is Lieutenant General David N. Miller.

List of commanders

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Commander of Space Operations Command
 
Flag of a Space Force lieutenant general
since 9 January 2024
United States Space Force
Reports toChief of Space Operations
SeatPeterson Space Force Base, Colorado, U.S.
PrecursorCommander, United States Space Force
Formation1 September 1982
First holderJames V. Hartinger
DeputyVice Commander, Space Operations Command
 
Gen O'Malley (left) and Secretary Aldridge (right) looks on as Gen Hartinger signs as the first commander of Space Command, 1 September 1982
 
Left to right: Gen Kutyna, Gen Herres, Gen Hartinger, Maj Gen Padden, and Lt Gen Moorman, former and current Air Force Space Command commanders, gather in 1991
 
Lt Gen Whiting, the first commander of Space Operations Command, delivers remarks during the field command's activation ceremony, 21 October 2020
No. Commander[2][1] Term
Portrait Name Took office Left office Duration
Space Command
1General
James V. Hartinger
(1925–2000)		1 September 198220 July 19841 year, 323 days
2General
Robert T. Herres
(1932–2008)		30 July 198415 November 19851 year, 118 days
Air Force Space Command
1General
Robert T. Herres
(1932–2008)		15 November 19851 October 1986320 days
2Major General
Maurice C. Padden
(1931–2015)		1 October 198629 October 19871 year, 28 days
3Lieutenant General
Donald J. Kutyna
(born 1933)		29 October 198729 March 19902 years, 151 days
4Lieutenant General
Thomas S. Moorman Jr.
(1940–2020)		29 March 199023 March 19921 year, 360 days
5General
Donald J. Kutyna
(born 1933)		23 March 199230 June 199299 days
6General
Chuck Horner
(born 1936)		30 June 199213 September 19942 years, 106 days
7General
Joseph W. Ashy
(born 1940)		13 September 199426 August 19961 year, 348 days
8General
Howell M. Estes III
(1941–2024)		26 August 199614 August 19981 year, 353 days
9General
Richard Myers
(born 1942)		14 August 199822 February 20001 year, 192 days
10General
Ralph Eberhart
(born 1946)		22 February 200019 April 20022 years, 56 days
11General
Lance W. Lord
(born 1946)		19 April 20021 April 20063 years, 347 days
–Lieutenant General
Frank Klotz
(born 1950)
Acting		1 April 200626 June 200686 days
12General
Kevin P. Chilton
(born 1954)		26 June 20063 October 20071 year, 99 days
–Lieutenant General
Michael A. Hamel
Acting		3 October 200712 October 20079 days
13General
C. Robert Kehler
(born 1952)		12 October 20075 January 20113 years, 85 days
14General
William L. Shelton
(born 1954)		5 January 201115 August 20143 years, 222 days
15General
John E. Hyten
(born 1959)		15 August 201425 October 20162 years, 71 days
16General
John W. Raymond
(born 1962)		25 October 201620 December 20193 years, 56 days
United States Space Force
1General
John W. Raymond
(born 1962)		20 December 2019[a]21 October 2020306 days
Space Operations Command
1Lieutenant General
Stephen Whiting
(born 1967)		21 October 20209 January 20243 years, 80 days
2Lieutenant General
David N. Miller
(born c. 1971)		9 January 2024Incumbent309 days

List of vice commanders

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Gen Goldfein (left) administers the oath of office to Lt Gen Thompson (right) during the establishment of the Air Force Space Command's vice commander position, 4 April 2018
No. Vice Commander Term Ref
Portrait Name Took office Left office Duration
1Lieutenant General
David D. Thompson
(born 1963)		4 April 201821 October 20202 years, 200 days[3]
2Major General
John E. Shaw
(born 1968)		21 October 202016 November 202026 days-
3Major General
DeAnna Burt
(born 1969)		16 November 202022 August 20221 year, 279 days[4]
4Major General
Douglas Schiess
(born 1970)		22 August 20226 December 20231 year, 106 days[5]
5Brigadier General
Devin Pepper
(born 1969)		6 December 202311 June 2024~188 days[6]
6Brigadier General
Chandler Atwood
(born 1977/1978)		11 June 2024Incumbent155 days[7]

List of deputy commanders

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No. Deputy Commander Term Ref
Portrait Name Took office Left office Duration
1Major General
Maurice C. Padden
(1931–2015)		July 19851 October 1986~1 year, 78 days[8]
2Major General
Ralph E. Spraker
(1933–2020)		1 October 1986June 1989~2 years, 257 days[9]
3Major General
G. Wesley Clark
(born 1932)		June 1989April 1990~304 days[10]
4Major General
Jay W. Kelley
(born 1941)		April 1990March 1992~1 year, 335 days[11]
5Lieutenant General
Thomas S. Moorman Jr.
(1940–2020)		March 1992July 1994~2 years, 122 days[12]
6Lieutenant General
Patrick P. Caruana
(born 1939)		August 1994August 1997~3 years[13]
7Lieutenant General
Lance W. Lord
(born 1946)		August 1997June 1999~1 year, 304 days[13]
8Lieutenant General
Donald G. Cook
(born 1946)		July 1999June 2000~1 year[14]
9Lieutenant General
Roger G. DeKok
(1947–2003)		June 2000April 2002~1 year, 304 days[15]
10Lieutenant General
Robert C. Hinson		April 2002August 2003~1 year, 122 days[16]
11Lieutenant General
Daniel P. Leaf
(born c. 1952)		August 2003September 2005~2 years, 31 days[17]
12Lieutenant General
Frank Klotz
(born 1950)		October 2005August 2007~1 year, 304 days[18]
13Major General
Thomas F. Deppe		August 2007August 2009~2 years[19]
14Lieutenant General
Michael J. Basla		August 2009May 2012~2 years, 274 days[20]
15Lieutenant General
John E. Hyten
(born 1959)		May 2012August 2014~2 years, 92 days-
16Major General
David J. Buck		August 2014August 2015~1 year[21]
17Major General
David D. Thompson
(born 1963)		July 2015July 2017~2 years-
18Major General
Robert J. Skinner		July 2017July 2018~1 year[22]
19Major General
John E. Shaw
(born 1968)		August 201820 November 2019~1 year, 97 days[23]
20Major General
Stephen Whiting
(born 1967)		20 November 201921 October 2020336 days[24]

List of senior enlisted leaders

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No. Senior Enlisted Leader Term Ref
Portrait Name Took office Left office Duration
1Chief Master Sergeant
Charles P. Zimkas Jr.		1 September 1982~1984~1 year, 303 days[25]
2Chief Master Sergeant
Thomas J. Echols		~1984October 1986~2 years, 107 days-
3Chief Master Sergeant
John W. Wright
(1942–2019)		October 1986~1989~2 years, 258 days[26]
4Chief Master Sergeant
Delamar T. Jones		~1989December 1992~3 years, 168 days-
5Chief Master Sergeant
Richard G. Griffis		December 1992November 1996~3 years, 336 days[27]
6Chief Master Sergeant
Robert M. Clougherty		November 1996August 1998~1 year, 273 days[28]
7Chief Master Sergeant
Dennis L. Fritz		August 1998February 2000~1 year, 184 days[29]
8Chief Master Sergeant
Kevin D. Estrem		February 2000June 2002~2 years, 120 days[30]
9Chief Master Sergeant
Ronald G. Kriete		June 2002August 2006~4 years, 61 days[31]
10Chief Master Sergeant
Michael T. Sullivan		August 200614 February 2008~1 year, 183 days[32][33]
11Chief Master Sergeant
Richard T. Small		14 February 2008September 2011~3 years, 212 days[34]
12Chief Master Sergeant
Linus Jordan		September 2011May 2013~1 year, 242 days[35]
13Chief Master Sergeant
Douglas McIntyre		May 20136 August 2015~2 years, 83 days[36][37]
14Chief Master Sergeant
Patrick F. McMahon		6 August 2015May 2016~283 days[38]
15Chief Master Sergeant
Brendan I. Criswell		July 2016November 2018~2 years, 123 days[39]
16Chief Master Sergeant
Roger A. Towberman
(born 1966/1967)		November 201821 October 2020~1 year, 341 days[40]
17Chief Master Sergeant
John F. Bentivegna
(born c. 1976)		21 October 202030 April 20221 year, 191 days[41]
18Chief Master Sergeant
Jacob C. Simmons
(born c. 1974)		30 April 20227 August 20231 year, 99 days[41]
19Chief Master Sergeant
Caleb M. Lloyd
(born c. 1985)		7 August 2023Incumbent1 year, 98 days[42]

See also

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References

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Notes

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  1. ^ With the creation of the Space Force, Air Force Space Command headquarters in Colorado remained working until the stand-up of Space Operations Command, serving in transitional capacity as Headquarters, United States Space Force.[1]

Citations

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  1. ^ a b c "Space Operations Command (USSF)". Afhra.af.mil.
  2. ^ "2009 Space Almanac" (PDF). Space-library.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 February 2021. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
  3. ^ "Air Force establishes Pentagon-based AFSPC vice commander position". Air Force Space Command (Archived).
  4. ^ "Maj. Gen. DeAnna M. Burt". www.spaceforce.mil. Archived from the original on 7 April 2021. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
  5. ^ "Maj. Gen. Douglas A. Schiess". www.spaceforce.mil. Archived from the original on 20 September 2022. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
  6. ^ "Devin R. Pepper".
  7. ^ "Chandler P. Atwood".
  8. ^ "MAJOR GENERAL MAURICE C. PADDEN". www.af.mil.
  9. ^ "MAJOR GENERAL RALPH E. SPRAKER". www.af.mil.
  10. ^ "MAJOR GENERAL G. WESLEY CLARK". www.af.mil.
  11. ^ "LIEUTENANT GENERAL JAY W. KELLEY". www.af.mil.
  12. ^ "THOMAS S. MOORMAN JR". www.af.mil.
  13. ^ a b "LIEUTENANT GENERAL PATRICK P. CARUANA". www.af.mil.
  14. ^ "GENERAL DONALD G. COOK". www.af.mil.
  15. ^ "LIEUTENANT GENERAL ROGER G. DEKOK". www.af.mil.
  16. ^ "LIEUTENANT GENERAL ROBERT C. HINSON". www.af.mil.
  17. ^ "LIEUTENANT GENERAL DANIEL P. LEAF". www.af.mil.
  18. ^ "LIEUTENANT GENERAL FRANK G. KLOTZ". www.af.mil.
  19. ^ "MAJOR GENERAL THOMAS F. DEPPE". www.af.mil.
  20. ^ "MICHAEL J. BASLA". www.af.mil.
  21. ^ "DAVID J. BUCK". www.af.mil.
  22. ^ "ROBERT J. SKINNER". www.af.mil.
  23. ^ "John E. Shaw". www.spaceforce.mil.
  24. ^ "Stephen N. Whiting". www.spaceforce.mil.
  25. ^ "First AFSPC Command Chief honored at AF Museum". Air Force Space Command (Archived).
  26. ^ "John Wright Obituary -". Dignity Memorial.
  27. ^ "Chief Master Sergeant Richard G. Griffis Biography". Archived from the original on 14 February 1997.
  28. ^ "Chief Master Sergeant Robert M. Clougherty Biography". 19 July 1997. Archived from the original on 19 July 1997.
  29. ^ "Chief Dennis Fritz Biography". Archived from the original on 23 October 1999.
  30. ^ "CHIEF MASTER SERGEANT KEVIN D. ESTREM".
  31. ^ "Biographies : CHIEF MASTER SERGEANT RONALD G. KRIETE". 22 July 2006. Archived from the original on 22 July 2006.
  32. ^ "Command chief retires after three decades of service". Air Force Space Command (Archived).
  33. ^ "Biographies : CHIEF MASTER SERGEANT MICHAEL T. SULLIVAN". 29 January 2008. Archived from the original on 29 January 2008.
  34. ^ "Biographies : CHIEF MASTER SERGEANT RICHARD T. SMALL". 6 September 2010. Archived from the original on 6 September 2010.
  35. ^ "Biographies : CHIEF MASTER SERGEANT LINUS JORDAN". 17 February 2013. Archived from the original on 17 February 2013.
  36. ^ "Be true to yourself". Air Force Space Command (Archived).
  37. ^ "Biographies : CHIEF MASTER SERGEANT DOUGLAS L. MCINTYRE". Archived from the original on 10 May 2015.
  38. ^ "Chief Master Sergeant Patrick F. McMahon". www.defense.gov.
  39. ^ "CHIEF MASTER SERGEANT BRENDAN I. CRISWELL > Air Force Space Command > Biographies". Archived from the original on 9 June 2018.
  40. ^ "CHIEF MASTER SERGEANT ROGER A. TOWBERMAN". www.afspc.af.mil.
  41. ^ a b "Chief Master Sergeant Jacob C Simmons". www.spoc.spaceforce.mil.
  42. ^ "CHIEF MASTER SERGEANT CALEB M. LLOYD". Space Operations Command. 7 August 2023.  This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
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