Brigadier General CASEY M. BEARD Brig. Gen. Casey M. "Shaggy" Beard is the Deputy Commander, Space Operations Command, U.S. Space Force, Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado. As Deputy Commander, he is responsible for the generation, presentation and sustainment of U.S. Space Force combat-ready space, cyberspace, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and combat support forces. Moreover, as the U.S. Space Force service force provider, he is responsible to the Secretary of the Air Force and Chief of Space Operations for sourcing, training, certifying and assessing the readiness of America’s Space Forces to execute service and combatant commander-assigned missions. Brig. Gen. Beard earned his commission through the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps at Clemson University in 2001. He recently served as the Senior Executive Officer to the Chief of Space Operations, Pentagon, supporting the Service Chief on combat readiness, strategy and doctrine, talent management, organizational structure, training, education, force design, programming and budgets and leadership development. He coordinated across the Department of Defense, Combatant Commands, Military Services, and other partners at all levels to enable implementation of the Service Chief’s vision, strategy, objectives and priorities. He has extensive operational experience in nuclear operations, space domain awareness, orbital warfare and operational level command and control. Brig. Gen. Beard has served as a delta commander, squadron commander, division chief, branch chief, executive officer, flight commander, evaluator and instructor. EDUCATION 2001 Bachelor of Science, Chemistry, Clemson University, S.C. 2006 Squadron Officer School, Top Third Graduate, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. 2009 Master of Science, Space Studies, American Military University, Washington, D.C. 2009 Distinguished Graduate, U.S. Air Force Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nev. 2014 Distinguished Gradute, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 2015 U.S. Air Force School of Advanced Air and Space Studies, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 2018 Distinguished Graduate, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C. ASSIGNMENTS or CAREER CHRONOLOGY 1. June 2001–February 2002, Student, Officer Space Prerequisite Training; Student, Peacekeeper Initial Qualification Training, Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. 2. February 2002–September 2002, Deputy Missile Combat Crew Commander, 400th Missile Squadron, F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo. 3. September 2002–June 2003, Deputy Missile Combat Crew Commander Instructor, 90th Operational Support Squadron, F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo. 4. July 2003–November 2004, Missile Combat Crew Commander; Flight Commander, 400th Missile Squadron, F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo. 5. November 2004–April 2006, Missile Combat Crew Commander Evaluator; Deputy Chief, Standardization and Evaluation Division, 90th Operations Group, F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo. 6. April 2006–May 2006, Student, Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 7. May 2006–September 2006, Student, Milstar Initial Qualification Training, Vandenberg AFB, Calif. 8. October 2006–June 2008, Lead Instructor, 4th Space Operations Squadron, Schriever AFB, Colo. 9. July 2008–June 2009, Executive Officer, Space Innovation and Development Center, Schriever AFB, Colo. 10. June 2009–December 2009, Student, U.S. Air Force Weapons Instructor Course, Nellis AFB, Nev. 11. January 2010–June 2013, Deputy Chief, Space Situational Awareness Branch; Chief, Defensive Operations Branch, 614th Air and Space Operations Center, Vandenberg AFB, Calif. 12. August 2013–June 2014, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 13. July 2014–June 2015, Student, School of Advanced Air and Space Studies, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 14. July 2015–July 2017, Commander, 1st Space Operations Squadron, Schriever AFB, Colo. 15. August 2017–June 2018, Student, National War College, Fort McNair, Washington, D.C. 16. June 2018–June 2020, Deputy Director, Space Strategy and Plans Directorate, Office of the Secretary of Defense for Policy, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va. 17. June 2020–July 2020, Commander, 750th Operations Group, Schriever AFB, Colo. 18. July 2020–June 2022, Commander, Space Delta 9, Schriever Space Force Base, Colo. 19. July 2022–June 2023, Director, Commander’s Action Group, U.S. Space Command Peterson SFB, Colo. 20. June 2023–June 2025, Senior Executive Officer to the Chief of Space Operations, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va. 21. June 2025–present, Deputy Commander, Headquarters Space Operations Command, Peterson SFB, Colo. SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS 1. June 2018–June 2020, Deputy Director, Space Strategy and Plans Directorate, Office of the Secretary of Defense for Policy, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a colonel 2. July 2022–June 2023, Director, Commander’s Action Group, U.S. Space Command, Peterson Space Force Base, Colo., as a colonel MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS Defense Superior Service Medal with oak leaf cluster Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters Joint Service Achievement Medal Joint Meritorious Unit Award Meritorious Unit Award Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award with three oak leaf clusters Air and Space Organizational Excellence Award Combat Readiness Medal Air and Space Campaign Medal OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS Distinguished Graduate, Peacekeeper Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Initial Qualification Training Distinguished Graduate, Milstar Initial Qualification Training 2009 Mission Award, U.S. Air Force Weapons School 2012 14th Air Force Tiger Award (Current as of July 2025)