Space Operations Command

Space Operations Command
SpOC emblem
Founded	21 October 2020; 331 days[1]
Country	United States
Branch	United States Space Force
Type	Field command
Role	Space operations Cyber operations Intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance[2]
Size	11,000 personnel[3]
Part of	U.S. Space Command[2]
Headquarters	Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado, U.S.
Website	www.spoc.spaceforce.mil
Commanders
Commander	Lt Gen Stephen N. Whiting
Vice Commander	Maj Gen DeAnna M. Burt
DCG (Operations)	Brig Gen Douglas Schiess, USAF[4]
DCG (Support)	Brig Gen Kristin Goodwin, USAF[4]
DCG (Transformation)	BGen. , RCAF[5]
Command Chief	CMSgt John F. Bentivegna

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Space Operations Command (SpOC) is a field command of the United States Space Force. Headquartered at Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado, it is responsible for the organization, training, equipping, command and control, and employment of space forces to support operational plans and missions for U.S. combatant commanders. It was also responsible for the Space Force's launch wings, Space Launch Delta 30 and Space Launch Delta 45, until the activation of Space Systems Command on 13 August 2021.

Space Operations Command, (formerly United States Space Force; Air Force Space Command) was established on 21 October 2020 with Lt Gen Stephen N. Whiting as the first commander. The Fourteenth Air Force that was redesignated Space Operations Command during the establishment of the Space Force was redesignated back to Fourteenth Air Force, inactivated on 21 Oct 2020, and subsequently returned to the United States Air Force. Space Operations Command West, commanded by Maj Gen John E. Shaw was newly constituted on 20 Oct 2020, and activated on 21 Oct 2020. It is a subordinate unit of Space Operations Command, serving as the headquarters and staff for United States Space Command’s (USSPACECOM) Combined Force Space Component Command (CFSCC).^[1]

Structure[]

Name		Function	Headquarters	Commander
	Space Operations Command West	Space warfighting operations	Vandenberg Space Force Base, California	Maj Gen DeAnna M. Burt
Space mission deltas
	Space Delta 2	Space domain awareness	Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado	Col Marc A. Brock
	Space Delta 3	Space electronic warfare	Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado	Col Christopher A. Fernengel
	Space Delta 4	Missile warning	Buckley Space Force Base, Colorado	Col Miguel A. Cruz
	Space Delta 5	Command and control	Vandenberg Space Force Base, California	Col Monique C. DeLauter
	Space Delta 6	Cyberspace operations	Schriever Space Force Base, Colorado	Col Roy V. Rockwell
	Space Delta 7	Intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance	Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado	Col Chandler P. Atwood
	Space Delta 8	Satellite communication and navigation warfare	Schriever Space Force Base, Colorado	Col Matthew E. Holston
	Space Delta 9	Orbital warfare	Schriever Space Force Base, Colorado	Col Casey Beard
Garrisons and wings
	Peterson-Schriever Garrison	Mission and medical support	Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado	Col Zachary S. Warakomski
	Buckley Garrison	Mission and medical support	Buckley Space Force Base, Colorado	Col Marcus D. Jackson

History[]

SpOC establishment ceremony.

When the United States Space Force was established on 20 December 2019, the headquarters of Air Force Space Command (AFSPC) in Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado was redesignated as Headquarters, United States Space Force. Subsequently, the AFSPC's Fourteenth Air Force in Vandenberg Air Force Base, California was temporarily redesignated as Space Operations Command (SpOC), a preliminary organizational change and was not the intended end-state organizational design.^[6][7] The Space Force wrote in a congressional report that it will develop new field-level organizations and operational units.^[8]

The Space Force revealed in June 2020 its plan to establish, from the staff and operational elements of the Space Force in Peterson AFB, a new Space Operations Command as one of the new service's planned three field commands. The existing SpOC located in Vandenberg AFB, commanded by U.S. Air Force Major General John E. Shaw, was planned to be renamed upon the activation of the field command.^[9] Major General Stephen N. Whiting, who had been the deputy commander of Headquarters, United States Space Force, was thereafter nominated to serve as its first commander.^[10]

In a ceremony at Peterson Air Force Base on 21 October 2020, the Headquarters, United States Space Force was redesignated as Space Operations Command, becoming the Space Force's first field command. Newly promoted U.S. Space Force Lieutenant General Stephen N. Whiting assumed command, highlighted his and the field command's priorities, and revealed its new emblem. The Space Operations Command, formerly Fourteenth Air Force was redesigated back to Fourteenth Air Force, and was then inactivated on the same day. Fourteenth Air Force along with its lineage was returned to the United States Air Force.^{[citation needed]} Space Operations Command West, was constituted on 20 October 2020 and activated on 21 October 2020.

In 2021, SpOC restructured its headquarters staff by dividing it into three deputy commanding general (DCG) positions, a deputy commanding general each for operations, support, and transformation. It also organized oversight of Space Deltas 2 to 9 under the deputy commanding general (operations) by creating five mission area teams (MAT): intelligence, battle management C3, componency, combat power, and information mobility.^[11]

SpOC lost command authority over three deltas in August 2021 after the activation of the Space Force's other two field commands. Space Launch Delta 30 and Space Launch Delta 45 were realigned under Space Systems Command after its activation on 13 August 2021.^[12] On 23 August 2021, Space Training and Readiness Delta (Provisional) was inactivated prior to the activation of Space Training and Readiness Command.^[13]

List of commanders[]

No.	Portrait	Name	Term			Command Chief
			Took office	Left office	Duration
1		Lieutenant General Stephen N. Whiting	21 October 2020	Incumbent	331 days	Chief Master Sergeant John F. Bentivegna

See also[]

• Combined Force Space Component Command
• United States Army Forces Command
• United States Marine Corps Forces Command
• United States Fleet Forces Command
• Air Combat Command

References[]

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Space Operations Command.

• Official website