A Historic Day for the US Space Force

A Message from Your President: A Historic Day for the US Space Force

Following the Space Force’s first-ever Change of Responsibility ceremony on Nov. 2, I send my sincerest thanks and congratulations to Gen. John W. “Jay” Raymond. Jay had the herculean task of standing up and establishing a new military service for the first time in nearly three-quarters of a century. He handled this monumental task with impeccable strength and grace.

Under Gen. Raymond’s leadership, the Space Force went from a service of one—himself—to a force of nearly 9,000. He flattened the structure, formed mission-focused deltas, and began building a new digital-first culture. As the first CSO, Raymond’s fingerprints can be found on everything from strategy to the Space Force’s new official song. While he often noted that building a service from scratch was easier than breaking through decades of established bureaucracy, it certainly wasn’t easy. Gen. Raymond proved the right man for the job.

Now it’s time to turn the reigns over to Gen. B. Chance Saltzman—a distinguished graduate of the U.S. Air Force Weapons School and a proven joint warfighter with significant space experience. Saltzman now has the opportunity to operationalize many of the concepts Raymond first introduced.

The Air & Space Forces Association is honored to support Airmen and Guardians, ensuring America’s Air & Space Forces remain second to none. Please join me in thanking Gen. Raymond and in wishing the best to Gen. Saltzman as he takes on the awesome honor and responsibility of being our nation’s second CSO. SEMPER SUPRA! 

Sincerely,

Bruce Wright

President-CEO