On November 2, Gen. B. Chance Saltzman was officially installed as the Chief of Space Operations, the highest-ranking military post in the Space Force. Saltzman is only the second person to hold the position in the Space Force’s history. During a solemn “Change of Responsibility” ceremony, Saltzman pledged to build on the Space Force’s achievements while also infusing the nascent service with new approaches. He promised to “work relentlessly to make the Space Force the combat-ready force that our nation needs” while acknowledging that it “will not be an easy or short-lived task.”
Saltzman praised retiring CSO Gen. John “Jay” Raymond for doing “the heavy lifting to establish the Space Force,” for being a mentor, and for setting the Space Force on a path on which Saltzman can build. He also thanked his wife, Jennifer, his two children, and a long list of other unnamed friends and colleagues who he said comprised the “bedrock of support” across his career.
Saltzman’s job as CSO will be ensuring that the nearly three-year-old Space Force continues developing and successfully achieving its broad and crucial missions. In that respect, he is well prepared. But Saltzman noted in his remarks that the stakes are high. “The world is becoming increasingly dangerous, and preserving U.S. national security interests in space is growing harder every day,” he said. “Without the space capabilities you are designing, building, protecting, and operating, the Joint Force will not be capable of accomplishing its missions. A resilient, ready, and combat-credible Space Force is indispensable to deterrence today, tomorrow, and every day after that. In the worst case, if deterrence fails, the Space Force will be an indispensable component of our joint force at war.”
Saltzman inherits a Space Force as it transitions from the early planning and organizational phases required to form the first new military branch since 1947 to one that focuses more on the Department of the Air Force’s operational imperatives. Despite its small size compared to the other military services, the Space Force’s strategic importance is beyond dispute. Saltzman pledged to build on Raymond’s accomplishments. “The inspired work that General Raymond started has set us on a path,” Saltzman told the Senate Armed Services Committee on September 13 during his confirmation hearing. “It is a path towards advanced capabilities, modern, resilient architectures, and innovative approaches to meet our service missions.”
Saltzman has deep operational experience with missile and space systems as a Minuteman III launch officer and as a satellite operator for the National Reconnaissance Office. He also served as the first Chief of Combat Plans for the Joint Space Operations Center and, later, as Chief of Combat Operations.
In addition to Raymond, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, and Department of the Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall took part in the ceremony. Vice President Kamala Harris offered a letter praising Saltzman’s selection and Raymond’s service. As CSO, Saltzman will join Milley and as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Space is now considered a new and indisputable “warfighting domain,” which is why the United States – primarily through the Space Force and its allies – is focusing heavily on space and adapting to the new conditions. Militarily, space has never been more essential since “space power” provides a series of foundational capabilities upon which our joint forces depend. There are now 72 countries actively operating in space. That number is growing as the cost of launching vehicles into space is falling to the point that more nations, along with many commercial enterprises, are jumping in. As congestion in space increases, so too are the intentions for being there. All of that raises the stakes for operating freely and without threat in space.
Copyright 2023 All rights reserved.