US Space Command boss Gen. Jay Raymond established two subordinate commands on Aug. 30, 2019, to support other combatant commanders and defend American space assets. USSPACECOM graphics via Twitter/staff illustration by Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory.
US Space Command boss Air Force Gen. Jay Raymond used his first full day on the job to establish the two subordinate commands that will carry out the organization’s main responsibilities. One supports field commanders’ needs for space capabilities like GPS and communications, while the other protects US assets.
The Combined Force Space Component Command at Vandenberg AFB, Calif., led by Maj. Gen. Stephen Whiting, is in charge of supporting other combatant commanders and the joint force through the Combined Space Operations Center at Vandenberg; the Missile Warning Center at Cheyenne Mountain AFS, Colo.; the Joint Overhead Persistent Infrared Center at Buckley AFB, Colo.; and the Joint Navigation Warfare Center at Kirtland AFB, N.M.
The CFSCC also oversees certain Air Force, Army, and Navy space units, SPACECOM said in an Aug. 30 release.
The Joint Task Force-Space Defense, run by Brig. Gen. Thomas James, works to “deter aggression, defend space capability, and defeat adversaries” through the National Space Defense Center at Schriever AFB, Colo., and other groups, SPACECOM said. It is located at Schriever as well.
SpaceNews first reported details of the subordinate commands in June.