The U.S. Area Drive has a brand new chief.
On Thursday (Sept. 29), the Senate unanimously confirmed Lt. Gen. B. Probability Saltzman as chief of space operations for the Space Force. Saltzman takes over from Gen. John “Jay” Raymond, who had led the nation’s latest navy department since its inception in December 2019.
Raymond will retire, ending a 38-year navy profession, according to Space News (opens in new tab).
Associated: US Space Force establishes new unit to track ‘threats in orbit’
Saltzman, who entered the navy in 1991, “has deep operational expertise with missile and space programs as a Minuteman III launch officer and as a satellite operator for the Nationwide Reconnaissance Workplace,” Area Drive officers wrote in July (opens in new tab), shortly after President Joe Biden nominated him for the Area Drive’s prime put up. “He additionally served as the primary chief of fight plans for the Joint Area Operations Heart, and later, as chief of fight operations.”
Since August 2020, Saltzman had served as deputy chief of space operations for operations, cyber and nuclear. That is a reasonably large job; in it, Saltzman had “general accountability for operations, intelligence, sustainment, cyber and nuclear operations for the Area Drive,” Area Drive officers wrote.
The Area Drive is the primary new U.S. navy department because the Air Drive, which was created in 1947. The Area Drive is formally a part of the Air Drive, a lot because the Marine Corps is a part of the U.S. Navy.
Members of the Area Drive, called guardians, are skilled to “conduct world space operations that improve the way in which our joint and coalition forces combat, whereas additionally providing decision-makers navy choices to realize nationwide goals,” in response to the service’s mission statement (opens in new tab).
The Area Drive’s work is more and more essential as of late, U.S. officers have mentioned, stressing that the ultimate frontier is changing into a extremely contested area. Russia and China are working arduous, they are saying, to challenge the United States’ longtime status because the world’s best space energy.
Mike Wall is the writer of “Out There (opens in new tab)” (Grand Central Publishing, 2018; illustrated by Karl Tate), a guide concerning the seek for alien life. Observe him on Twitter @michaeldwall (opens in new tab). Observe us on Twitter @Spacedotcom (opens in new tab) or on Facebook (opens in new tab).
