Discussion with General John “Jay” Raymond, USSF (Ret.)

Gen. John W. “Jay” Raymond was the 1st Chief of Space Operations of the U.S. Space Force. As Chief, he served as the senior uniformed Space Force officer responsible for the organization, training and equipping of all organic and assigned space forces serving in the United States and overseas. As a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Chief of Space Operations and other service chiefs function as military advisers to the Secretary of Defense, National Security Council and the President.

Gen. Raymond was commissioned through the ROTC program at Clemson University in 1984. He commanded at squadron, group, wing, numbered air force, Major Command and Combatant Command levels. Notable staff assignments included serving in the Office of Force Transformation, Office of the Secretary of Defense; the Director of Plans, Programs and Analyses at Air Force Space Command; the Director of Plans and Policy (J5), U.S. Strategic Command; and the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force.

Gen. Raymond deployed to Southwest Asia as Director of Space Forces in support of operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. Prior to leading establishment of the U.S. Space Force and serving as the 1st Chief of Space Operations, Gen. Raymond led the re-establishment of U.S. Space Command as the eleventh U.S. combatant command.