Commander of Space Operations Command

Commander of Space Operations Command
Space Operations Command emblem
Flag of a Space Force lieutenant general
Incumbent Lieutenant General Stephen Whiting since 21 October 2020
United States Space Force
Reports to	Chief of Space Operations
Seat	Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado, U.S.
Precursor	Commander, Air Force Space Command
Formation	1 September 1982
First holder	James V. Hartinger
Deputy	Vice Commander, 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.

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.

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 Stephen Whiting.

List of commanders

Air Force Space Command

No.	Commander		Term
	Portrait	Name	Took office	Left office	Duration
1		General James V. Hartinger (1925–2000)	1 September 1982	20 July 1984	1 year, 323 days
2		General Robert T. Herres (1932–2008)	20 July 1984	1 October 1986	2 years, 73 days
3		Major General Maurice C. Padden (1931–2015)	1 October 1986	29 October 1987	1 year, 28 days
4		Lieutenant General Donald J. Kutyna (born 1933)	29 October 1987	29 March 1990	2 years, 151 days
5		Lieutenant General Thomas S. Moorman Jr. (1940–2020)	29 March 1990	23 March 1992	1 year, 360 days
6		General Donald J. Kutyna (born 1933)	23 March 1992	30 June 1992	99 days
7		General Chuck Horner (born 1936)	30 June 1992	13 September 1994	2 years, 106 days
8		General Joseph W. Ashy (born 1940)	13 September 1994	26 August 1996	1 year, 348 days
9		General Howell M. Estes III (born 1941)	26 August 1996	14 August 1998	1 year, 353 days
10		General Richard Myers (born 1942)	14 August 1998	22 February 2000	1 year, 192 days
11		General Ralph Eberhart (born 1946)	22 February 2000	19 April 2002	2 years, 56 days
12		General Lance W. Lord (born 1946)	19 April 2002	1 April 2006	3 years, 347 days
–		Lieutenant General Frank Klotz (born 1950) Acting	1 April 2006	26 June 2006	86 days
13		General Kevin P. Chilton (born 1954)	26 June 2006	3 October 2007	1 year, 99 days
–		Lieutenant General Michael A. Hamel Acting	3 October 2007	12 October 2007	9 days
14		General C. Robert Kehler (born 1952)	12 October 2007	5 January 2011	3 years, 85 days
15		General William L. Shelton (born 1954)	5 January 2011	15 August 2014	3 years, 222 days
16		General John E. Hyten (born 1959)	15 August 2014	25 October 2016	2 years, 71 days
17		General John W. Raymond (born 1962)	25 October 2016	20 December 2019	3 years, 56 days

Headquarters, United States Space Force

No.	Commander		Term
	Portrait	Name	Took office	Left office	Duration
1		General John W. Raymond (born 1962)	20 December 2019	21 October 2020	306 days

Space Operations Command

No.	Commander		Term
	Portrait	Name	Took office	Left office	Duration
1		Lieutenant General Stephen Whiting (born 1967)	21 October 2020	Incumbent	2 years, 322 days

See also

• Space Operations Command
• Commander of Space Systems Command
• Commander of Space Training and Readiness Command