Commander of Space Systems Command

Commander of Space Systems Command
Space Systems Command emblem
Flag of a Space Force lieutenant general
Incumbent Lieutenant General Michael Guetlein since 13 August 2021
United States Space Force
Reports to	Chief of Space Operations Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration[citation needed]
Seat	Los Angeles Air Force Base, California, U.S.
Precursor	Commander, Space and Missile Systems Center
Formation	2 August 1954
First holder	Bernard A. Schriever
Deputy	Deputy Commander, Space Systems Command

This is a list of all commanders of Space Systems Command and all its historical antecedents, organizations that took its lineage.

List of commanders[]

Western Development Division[]

No.	Commander[1]		Term
	Portrait	Name	Took office	Left office	Duration
1		Major General Bernard A. Schriever (1910–2005)	2 August 1954	31 May 1957	2 years, 302 days

Air Force Ballistic Missile Division[]

No.	Commander[1]		Term
	Portrait	Name	Took office	Left office	Duration
1		Major General Bernard A. Schriever (1910–2005)	1 June 1957	24 April 1959	1 year, 327 days
2		Major General	25 April 1959	31 March 1961	1 year, 340 days

Space Systems Division[]

No.	Commander[2]		Term
	Portrait	Name	Took office	Left office	Duration
1		Major General	1 April 1961	13 May 1962	1 year, 42 days
2		Lieutenant General Howell M. Estes Jr. (1914–2007)	14 May 1962	2 October 1962	141 days
3		Major General	3 October 1962	31 August 1966	3 years, 332 days
4		Major General	1 September 1966	30 June 1967	302 days

Space and Missile Systems Organization[]

No.	Commander[2]		Term
	Portrait	Name	Took office	Left office	Duration
1		Lieutenant General	1 July 1967	31 August 1969	2 years, 61 days
2		Lieutenant General Samuel C. Phillips (1921–1990)	1 September 1969	24 August 1972	2 years, 358 days
3		Lieutenant General	25 August 1972	28 August 1975	3 years, 3 days
4		Lieutenant General	29 August 1975	28 April 1978	2 years, 242 days
5		Lieutenant General Richard C. Henry (1925–2020)	28 April 1978	30 September 1979	1 year, 155 days

Space Division[]

No.	Commander[2]		Term
	Portrait	Name	Took office	Left office	Duration
1		Lieutenant General Richard C. Henry (1925–2020)	1 October 1979	1 May 1983	3 years, 212 days
2		Lieutenant General Forrest S. McCartney (1931–2012)	1 May 1983	30 September 1986	3 years, 152 days
3		Lieutenant General Aloysius G. Casey (1932–2020)	9 October 1986	23 June 1988	1 year, 258 days
4		Lieutenant General	24 June 1988	14 March 1989	263 days

Space Systems Division[]

No.	Commander[2]		Term
	Portrait	Name	Took office	Left office	Duration
1		Lieutenant General	15 March 1989	31 May 1989	2 years, 77 days
2		Lieutenant General	8 July 1991	30 June 1992	358 days

Space and Missile Systems Center[]

No.	Commander[2]		Term
	Portrait	Name	Took office	Left office	Duration
1		Lieutenant General	1 July 1992	16 November 1994	2 years, 138 days
2		Lieutenant General Lester L. Lyles (born 1946)	17 November 1994	18 August 1996	1 year, 275 days
3		Lieutenant General Roger G. DeKok (1947–2003)	19 August 1996	12 August 1998	1 year, 358 days
4		Lieutenant General Eugene L. Tattini (born 1943)	13 August 1998	25 May 2001	2 years, 285 days
5		Lieutenant General Brian A. Arnold	25 May 2001	20 May 2005	6 years, 280 days
6		Lieutenant General	20 May 2005	16 May 2008	2 years, 362 days
7		Lieutenant General John T. Sheridan	16 May 2008	3 June 2011	3 years, 18 days
8		Lieutenant General Ellen M. Pawlikowski (born 1956)	3 June 2011	19 June 2014	3 years, 16 days
9		Lieutenant General Samuel A. Greaves	19 June 2014	22 March 2017	2 years, 276 days
10		Lieutenant General John F. Thompson	22 March 2017	1 August 2021	4 years, 132 days
–		Brigadier General D. Jason Cothern (born 1970) Acting	1 August 2021	13 August 2021	12 days

Space Systems Command[]

No.	Commander		Term
	Portrait	Name	Took office	Left office	Duration
1		Lieutenant General Michael A. Guetlein (born 1967)	13 August 2021	Incumbent	227 days

See also[]

• Space Systems Command
• Commander of Space Operations Command
• Commander of Space Training and Readiness Command

References[]