Joint Base Andrews, Md. – Gen. Douglas A. Schiess took over leadership of the Space Force on September 3, succeeding Gen. B. Chance Saltzman as Chief of Space Operations during a ceremonial change of responsibility.
Schiess, the third person to serve as CSO since the Space Force was established in 2019, emphasized the crucial role of space in modern military operations and the increasing threats posed by adversaries targeting space capabilities. He stated, “Every day, our potential adversaries advance their efforts to disrupt, degrade, and destroy our space capabilities, and they try to add to their own capacity to exploit space to their advantage. We cannot, we will not let that happen.”
With a background as a career space operator, Schiess has held various roles including missile warning and command and control. He was the inaugural commander of U.S. Space Forces-Space and recently served as deputy CSO for operations, outlining policies for Space Force operations globally. He noted that Guardians are trained to operate in “the cold, dark vacuum of space” from ground operations centers that are also under threat, particularly highlighted by ongoing risks in the Middle East.
Schiess underlined the necessity for Guardians to possess battlefield skills and a warrior mentality, similar to those serving across other branches of the military.
His predecessor, Gen. Saltzman, played a vital role in expanding the Space Force from 8,000 to 10,000 Guardians, with plans to double the force to 20,000 within five years. The Space Force’s fiscal 2027 budget request of $71 billion reflects the growing demand for space capabilities.
During the ceremony, Saltzman praised Schiess’s leadership skills and commitment to Guardians and their families. He highlighted Schiess’s ability to build teams and drive performance.
In his first message to the force, Schiess called for Guardians to build on their foundational strengths and evolve to meet emerging challenges, stating, “We must grow with intention, leveraging our industry partnerships to advance our weapon systems and the way we fight.”
In tandem with Schiess’s appointment, the Department of the Air Force welcomed its new assistant secretary for space acquisition and integration, Erich Hernandez-Baquero, who was sworn in on August 31, 2023.
