President Biden has named his choice for the next leader of the U.S. Space Force, a four-star general position who sits on the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the Pentagon.
On Wednesday, Mr. Biden nominated Lt. Gen. Bradley Chance Saltzman, the Space Force’s current deputy chief of operations, to be promoted to four-star general as Chief of Space Operations.
The nomination will be referred to the Senate Armed Services Committee. If confirmed, he will replace Gen. John “Jay” Raymond, who is retiring after almost 40 years of military service, first in the Air Force and now in the Space Force.
Gen. Raymond was the founding chief of the Pentagon’s space branch which was established in December 2019.
About 16,000 military and civilian personnel were assigned to the Space Force when it was established. It is charged with operating the nation’s military satellite systems, among other duties.
Lt. Gen. Saltzman’s military career has focused on missile and space systems as a Minuteman III launch officer and satellite operator for the National Reconnaissance Office. He was formerly deputy commander of U.S. Central Command’s Air Force contingent.
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