The White House has nominated Lt. Gen. David N. Miller Jr. to succeed Gen. Stephen Whiting as the leader of U.S. Space Command (SPACECOM), with Whiting expected to retire by January 2027. Miller’s promotion notice appeared in the Congressional Record on September 29, and both U.S. Space Command and the Space Force confirmed his nomination on September 30.
Gen. Douglas Schiess, Chief of Space Operations, expressed congratulations, highlighting Miller’s exceptional service and leadership capabilities. Currently, Miller serves as the Space Force’s deputy chief of space operations for strategy, plans, programs, and requirements. His notable past roles include commanding Combat Forces Command and serving as director of operations at SPACECOM.
If confirmed, Miller would be the fourth leader of SPACECOM since its re-establishment in 2018 and the third to come from the Space Force. His leadership comes at a time when the U.S. military is increasingly relying on space capabilities in both peacetime and combat, with an emphasis on offensive operations.
Miller will manage the construction of SPACECOM’s first purpose-built headquarters at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, and oversee the transition of personnel from Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado, a phased project set to complete by 2031.
Gen. Whiting, the current commander since January 2024, has advocated for advancements in space domain awareness and space-based capabilities, emphasizing the need for improved tracking and detection to counter threats in space.
