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Leadership

General John W. "Jay" Raymond

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Gen. John W. "Jay" Raymond is the Chief of Space Operations, United States Space Force. As Chief, he serves as the senior uniformed Space Force officer responsible for the organization, training and equipping of all organic and assigned space forces serving in the United States and overseas.  As members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Chief of Space Operations and other service chiefs function as military advisers to the Secretary of Defense, National Security Council, and the President.
 
Gen. Raymond was commissioned through the ROTC program at Clemson University in 1984. He has commanded at squadron, group, wing, numbered air force, Major Command and Combatant Command levels. Notable staff assignments include the Director of Plans and Policy (J5), U.S. Strategic Command; and the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force.

Gen. Raymond deployed to Southwest Asia as Director of Space Forces in support of operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. Prior to leading establishment of the U.S. Space Force and serving as the first Chief of Space Operations, Gen. Raymond led the re-establishment and commanded U.S. Space Command as the eleventh U.S. combatant command.
 
EDUCATION
1984 Bachelor of Science, Administrative Management, Clemson University, Clemson, S.C.
1990 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
1990 Master of Science, Administrative Management, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant
1997 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2003 Master of Arts, National Security and Strategic Studies, Naval War College, Newport, R.I.
2007 Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.
2011 Combined Force Air Component Commander Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2012 Joint Flag Officer Warfighting Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2014 Pinnacle Course, National Defense University, Fort McNair, Washington, D.C.
 
ASSIGNMENTS

  1. August 1985–October 1989, Minuteman Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Crew Commander; Alternate Command Post; Flight Commander and Instructor Crew Commander; and Missile Procedures Trainer Operator, 321st Strategic Missile Wing, Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D.
  2. October 1989–August 1993, Operations Center Officer Controller, 1st Strategic Aerospace Division, and Executive Officer, 30th Space Wing, Vandenberg AFB, Calif.
  3. August 1993–February 1996, Chief, Commercial Space Lift Operations, Assistant Chief, Current Operations Branch, Headquarters Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
  4. February 1996–August 1996, Deputy Director, Commander in Chief's Action Group, Headquarters AFSPC, Peterson AFB, Colo.
  5. August 1996–June 1997, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
  6. June 1997–August 1998, Space and Missile Force Programmer, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
  7. September 1998–April 2000, Chief, Expeditionary Aerospace Force Space and Program Integration, Expeditionary Aerospace Force Implementation Division, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
  8. April 2000–June 2001, Commander, 5th Space Surveillance Squadron, RAF Feltwell, United Kingdom
  9. June 2001–July 2002, Deputy Commander, 21st Operations Group, Peterson AFB, Colo.
  10. July 2002–June 2003, Student, Naval War College, Newport, R.I.
  11. June 2003–June 2005, Transformation Strategist, Office of Force Transformation, Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
  12. June 2005–June 2007, Commander, 30th Operations Group, Vandenberg AFB, Calif. (September 2006– January 2007, Director of Space Forces, Combined Air Operations Center, Southwest Asia)
  13. June 2007–August 2009, Commander, 21st Space Wing, Peterson AFB, Colo.
  14. August 2009–December 2010, Director of Plans, Programs and Analyses, Headquarters AFSPC, Peterson AFB, Colo.
  15. December 2010–July 2012, Vice Commander, Fifth Air Force, and Deputy Commander, 13th Air Force, Yokota Air Base, Japan
  16. July 2012–January 2014, Director of Plans and Policy (J5), U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt AFB, Neb.
  17. January 2014–August 2015, Commander, Fourteenth Air Force (Air Forces Strategic), AFSPC, and Commander, Joint Functional Component Command for Space, U.S. Strategic Command, Vandenberg AFB, Calif.
  18. August 2015–October 2016, Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
  19. October 2016–December 2019, Commander, AFSPC, Peterson AFB, Colo.
  20. December 2017–August 2019, Commander, Joint Force Space Component Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
  21. August 2019–August 2020, Commander, U.S. Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
  22. December 2019–present, Chief of Space Operations, U.S. Space Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
  1. June 2003–June 2005, Transformation Strategist, Office of Force Transformation, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Arlington, Va., as a colonel
  2. July 2012–January 2014, Director of Plans and Policy (J5), U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., as a major general
  3. December 2017–August 2019, Commander, Joint Force Space Component Command, Peterson AFB, Colo., as a general
  4. August 2019–August 2020, Commander, U.S. Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo., as a general

 
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Distinguished Service Medal
Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Defense Superior Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal
French Order of Merit
 
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2007 General Jerome F. O'Malley Distinguished Space Leadership Award, Air Force Association
2015 Thomas D. White Space Award, Air Force Association
2016 Peter B. Teets Government Award, National Defense Industrial Association
2017 James V. Hartinger Award, National Defense Industrial Association
2021 Henry “Hap” Arnold Award, Air Force Association
 
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Lieutenant July 20, 1984
First Lieutenant July 20, 1986
Captain July 20, 1988
Major July 1, 1996
Lieutenant Colonel July 1, 1999
Colonel July 1, 2004
Brigadier General Aug. 1, 2009
Major General May 4, 2012
Lieutenant General Jan. 31, 2014
General Oct. 25, 2016
 
(Current as of April 2022)