The commander of

Space Operations Command Space Operations Command (SpOC) is the United States Space Force's space operations, cyber operations, and intelligence field command. It is headquartered at Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado and serves as the U.S. Space Force's service com ...

is a

lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

who leads the

field command The United States Space Force is organized by different units: the Space Staff, the field commands, and the space deltas. The Space Force is organized as one of two coequal military service branches within the Department of the Air Force, the o ...

that provide space forces to the

United States Space Command United States Space Command (USSPACECOM or SPACECOM) is a unified combatant command of the United States Department of Defense, responsible for military operations in outer space, specifically all operations 100 kilometers (62 miles) and grea ...

and supports other

unified combatant commands A unified combatant command (CCMD), also referred to as a combatant command, is a joint military command of the United States Department of Defense that is composed of units from two or more service branches of the United States Armed Forces, an ...

. 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. Space Operations Command (SpOC) was established by redesignating the

Air Force Space Command The atmosphere of Earth is the layer of gases, known collectively as air, retained by Earth's gravity that surrounds the planet and forms its planetary atmosphere. The atmosphere of Earth protects life on Earth by creating pressure allowing for ...

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. 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 The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal gove ...

and must be confirmed by the

U.S. Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

. The current commander of SpOC is Lieutenant General

Stephen Whiting Stephen Newman Whiting (born September 14, 1967) is a United States Space Force lieutenant general who serves as the first commander of the Space Operations Command. He previously served as the deputy commander of the Air Force Space Command, wh ...

List of commanders

Space Command

Air Force Space Command

Headquarters, United States Space Force

Space Operations Command

List of vice commanders

* Lt Gen

David D. Thompson David Dean Thompson (born February 18, 1963) is a retired United States Space Force general who served as the first vice chief of space operations from 2020 to 2023. He served as the vice commander of the Air Force Space Command from 2018 to 20 ...

, 4 April 2018 – 21 October 2020 * Maj Gen

John E. Shaw John Edwin Shaw (born March 17, 1968) is a United States Space Force Lieutenant general (United States), lieutenant general who has served as the deputy commander of the United States Space Command since November 2020. He previously served as c ...

, 21 October 2020 – 16 November 2020 * Maj Gen

DeAnna Burt DeAnna Marie Burt (born February 15, 1969) is a United States Space Force lieutenant general who has served as the deputy chief of space operations for operations, cyber, and nuclear since 2022. She previously served as the commander of Combine ...

, 16 November 2020 – 22 August 2022 * Maj Gen

Douglas Schiess Douglas Andrew Schiess (born February 5, 1970) is a United States Space Force major general who serves as the commander of Combined Force Space Component Command and vice commander of Space Operations Command. He previously served as the dep ...

, 22 August 2022 – present

List of deputy commanders

* Maj Gen Maurice C. Padden, July 1985 – 1 October 1986 * Maj Gen

Ralph E. Spraker Ralph (pronounced ; or ,) is a male given name of English, Scottish and Irish origin, derived from the Old English ''Rædwulf'' and Radulf, cognate with the Old Norse ''Raðulfr'' (''rað'' "counsel" and ''ulfr'' "wolf"). The most common forms ...

, 1 October 1986 – June 1989 * Maj Gen

G. Wesley Clark G is the seventh letter of the Latin alphabet. G may also refer to: Places * Gabon, international license plate code G * Glasgow, UK postal code G * Eastern Quebec, Canadian postal prefix G * Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Australia, g ...

, June 1989 – April 1990 * Maj Gen Jay W. Kelley, April 1990 – March 1992 * Lt Gen

Thomas S. Moorman Jr. Thomas Samuel Moorman Jr. (November 16, 1940 – June 18, 2020) was a United States Air Force officer who served as Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force from July 1994 to August 1997. Early life Moorman was born in Washington, D ...

, March 1992 – July 1994 * Lt Gen

Patrick P. Caruana Patrick Peter Caruana (born November 11, 1939) is a retired lieutenant general in the United States Air Force. Biography Caruana was born in St. Louis, Missouri. He attended the U.S. Air Force Academy and Texas A&M University. Career Caruana ...

, August 1994 – August 1997 * Lt Gen

Lance W. Lord General Lance W. Lord (born July 12, 1946) is a retired four-star general in the United States Air Force who served as Commander of Air Force Space Command at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado. Military career Lord was educated at Castle Heigh ...

, August 1997 – June 1999 * Lt Gen Donald G. Cook, July 1999 – June 2000 * Lt Gen

Roger G. DeKok Roger G. DeKok (January 10, 1947 – April 23, 2003) was a lieutenant general in the United States Air Force. Personal life DeKok was a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts in mathematics. DeKok earne ...

, June 2000 – April 2002 * Lt Gen

Robert C. Hinson Robert C. Hinson is a retired lieutenant general in the United States Air Force. Career Hinson originally enlisted in the Air Force before being commissioned an officer in 1971. From 1973 to 1977, he served as a Boeing B-52 Stratofortress co-pil ...

, April 2002 – August 2003 * Lt Gen

Daniel P. Leaf Lieutenant General (Retired) Daniel P. "Fig" Leaf was Deputy Commander and Acting Commander, United States Pacific Command, Camp H. M. Smith, Hawaii. Military career A native of Shawano, Wisconsin, General Leaf earned his commission as a disti ...

, August 2003 – September 2005 * Lt Gen

Frank Klotz Frank Graham Klotz (born September 7, 1950) served as Under Secretary of Energy for Nuclear Security and Administrator for the National Nuclear Security Administration of the U.S. Department of Energy. He was confirmed for the position on April ...

, October 2005 – August 2007 * Maj Gen

Thomas F. Deppe Thomas may refer to: People * List of people with given name Thomas * Thomas (name) * Thomas (surname) * Saint Thomas (disambiguation) * Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church * Thomas th ...

, August 2007 – August 2009 * Lt Gen

Michael J. Basla Michael may refer to: People * Michael (given name), a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael Given name "Michael" * Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian and ...

, August 2009 – May 2012 * Lt Gen John E. Hyten, May 2012 – August 2014 * Maj Gen

David J. Buck David J. Buck is a retired Lieutenant general (United States), lieutenant general in the United States Air Force. Prior to his retirement on February 1, 2018, Buck served as the commander of the 14th Air Force, Air Force Space Command, and the Jo ...

, August 2014 – August 2015 * Maj Gen

, July 2015 – July 2017 * Maj Gen

Robert J. Skinner Robert J. Skinner is a retired United States Air Force lieutenant general who served as the director of the Defense Information Systems Agency from 2021 to 2024. Before, he directed Command, Control, Communications, and Cyber of the United State ...

, July 2017 – July 2018 * Maj Gen

, August 2018 – 20 November 2019 * Maj Gen

, 20 November 2019 – 21 October 2020

List of senior enlisted leaders

* CMSgt

Charles P. Zimkas Jr. Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was ...

, 1 September 1982 * CMSgt Thomas J. Echols, ~1984 * CMSgt

John W. Wright John W. Wright was the head coach of The College of William & Mary's football team in 1894. He coached only one season and compiled a 0–1 recor Head coaching record References Date of birth unknown Date of death unknown William ...

, ~1987 * CMSgt

Delamar T. Jones DeLaMar is a theatre near Leidseplein in Amsterdam, Netherlands, with two auditoriums containing 601 and 939 seats. It is currently in use for musicals, plays and cabaret.Richard G. Griffis, ~1993 * CMSgt Robert M. Clougherty, 1997 * CMSgt

Dennis L. Fritz Dennis or Denis is a first or last name from the Greco-Roman name Dionysius, via one of the Saint Dionysius (disambiguation), Christian saints named Dionysius. The name came from Dionysus, the Classical mythology, Greek god of ecstatic states, ...

, ~1998 * CMSgt

Kevin D. Estrem Kevin () is the anglicized form of the Irish masculine given name (; mga, Caoimhghín ; sga, Cóemgein ; Latinized as ). It is composed of "dear; noble"; Old Irish and ("birth"; Old Irish ). The variant '' Kevan'' is anglicized from , a ...

, 2000 * CMSgt

Ronald G. Kriete Ronald is a masculine given name derived from the Old Norse '' Rögnvaldr'', Hanks; Hardcastle; Hodges (2006) p. 234; Hanks; Hodges (2003) § Ronald. or possibly from Old English '' Regenweald''. In some cases ''Ronald'' is an Anglicised form ...

, June 2002 * CMSgt Michael T. Sullivan, August 2006 * CMSgt

Richard T. Small Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from Old Frankish and is a compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' and ''*hardu-'' 'strong, brave, hardy', and it therefore means 'str ...

, February 2008 * CMSgt Linus Jordan, September 2011 * CMSgt Douglas McIntyre, May 2013 – August 2015 * CMSgt Patrick F. McMahon, August 2015 – May 2016 * CMSgt

Brendan I. Criswell Brendan may refer to: People * Saint Brendan the Navigator (c. 484 – c. 577) was an Irish monastic saint. * Saint Brendan of Birr (died 573), Abbot of Birr in Co. Offaly, contemporaneous with the above * Brendan (given name), a masculine given ...

, July 2016 – November 2018 * CMSgt Roger A. Towberman, November 2018 – April 2022 * CMSgt John F. Bentivegna, 21 October 2020 – April 2022 * CMSgt

Jacob C Simmons Jacob (; ; ar, يَعْقُوب, Yaʿqūb; gr, Ἰακώβ, Iakṓb), later given the name Israel, is regarded as a patriarch of the Israelites and is an important figure in Abrahamic religions, such as Judaism, Christianity, and Isla ...

List of commanders

Space Command

Air Force Space Command

Headquarters, United States Space Force

Space Operations Command

List of vice commanders

List of deputy commanders

List of senior enlisted leaders

See also

References

Notes

Citations