Gen. John W. "Jay" Raymond is Commander, U.S. Space Command and Commander, Air Force Space Command, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado.
U.S. Space Command is one of 11 Unified Commands under the Department of Defense and is responsible for deterring conflict, defending U.S. and Allied freedom of action in the space area of operations, delivering combat-relevant space capability to the joint/combined force, and developing joint warfighters to advance U.S. and Allied interests in, through and from the space domain. As the Space Combatant Commander, General Raymond directs assigned and attached joint space forces providing tailored, responsive, theater and global space effects in support of national objectives.
Air Force Space Command comprises approximately 26,000 space professionals worldwide and is responsible for providing resilient, defendable and affordable space capabilities for the Air Force, Joint Force and the Nation. As Commander, AFSPC, General Raymond leads the organizing, training, equipping and maintaining of mission-ready space forces and capabilities for North American Aerospace Defense Command, U.S. Space Command and other combatant commands around the world.
General Raymond was commissioned through the ROTC program at Clemson University in 1984. He has commanded the 5th Space Surveillance Squadron at RAF Feltwell, England, the 30th Operations Group at Vandenberg AFB, California, the 21st Space Wing at Peterson AFB, Colorado, the 14th Air Force, and Joint Force Space Component Command. He deployed to Southwest Asia as Director of Space Forces in support of operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. The general's staff assignments include Headquarters AFSPC, USSTRATCOM, the Air Staff and the Office of Secretary of Defense.
Prior to assuming command of AFSPC and U.S. Space Command, General Raymond was the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Arlington, Va.
EDUCATION
1984 Bachelor of Science, Administrative Management, Clemson University, Clemson, S.C.
1990 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1990 Master of Science, Administrative Management, Central Michigan University, Mt. Pleasant, Mich.
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.
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, Washington, D.C.
7. September 1998 - April 2000, Chief, Expeditionary Aerospace Force Space and Program Integration, Expeditionary Aerospace Force Implementation Division, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
8. April 2000 - June 2001, Commander, 5th Space Surveillance Squadron, RAF Feltwell, England
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, Washington, D.C.
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, 14th 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, Arlington, Va.
19. October 2016 - present, Commander, Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
20. August 2019 - present, Commander, United States Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 2003 - June 2005, Transformation Strategist, Office of Force Transformation, Office of Secretary of Defense, Arlington, Va., as a colonel
2. July 2012 - January 2014, Director of Plans and Policy (J5), U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt AFB, 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 - present, Commander, United States Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo., as a general
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
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
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 August 2019)