Leadership of Space Operations Command

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 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.

SpOC emblem
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
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