U.S. Space Command Stand Up Ceremony

USSPACECOM Stand up ceremony at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado

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Transcript

Master Sergeant, post. Parade, rest.

Good morning ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to Peterson Air Force Base and the ceremony to recognize the establishment of United States Space Command. On behalf of the Commander, United States Space Command, General John W. Raymond, I extend a warm welcome to the military and civilian personnel, elected officials, community leaders, family and friends, those streaming the ceremony live from Building One, and the Space Heritage Room at the Pentagon who have joined us today as we recognize the establishment of the nation’s 11th combatant command. The guest speaker for today’s ceremony is the 19th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Joseph F. Dunford, Jr. I am Lieutenant Colonel Mary Murphy, and I will be your master of ceremony for today’s event. As a reminder, this ceremony is conducted as an outdoor ceremony. During the playing of ruffles and flourishes, military members in uniform will face and salute the individual being honored. During the singing of the National Anthem, military members will render a salute while civilian attendees place their hand over their heart. The ceremony will begin momentarily. To preserve the dignity of this event, please take this time to silence all electronic devices. Please stand of the arrival of the official party and remain standing for the playing of ruffles and flourishes, presentation of colors, the singing of the National Anthem followed by the invocation. Honors have been deferred to the Commander, United States Space Command.

[Male] Company, attention! Present, arms. (“Four Ruffles and Flourishes”) (“General’s March”) Order, arms. Honor Guard, present the colors. Right, face. Forward, march. Mark time, march. Honor guard, halt. Left, face. Present, arms. Oh say can you see By the dawn’s early light What so proudly we hailed At the twilight’s last gleaming Whose broad stripes and bright stars Through the perilous fight O’er the ramparts we watched Were so gallantly streaming And the rockets’ red glare The bombs bursting in air Gave proof through the night That our flag was still there Oh say does that star-spangled Banner yet wave O’er the land of the free And the home of the brave

[Male] Order, arms. Right, face. Forward, march. Order, arms. Parade, rest.

Good morning, I invite you to join me for a prayer today. Almighty and gracious God, today is an important day for the Department of Defense. Our nation’s civilian and military leaders have come together to celebrate the establishment of United States Space Command. This is a new opportunity for collaboration and synergy with our strategic partners, joint warfighters, our allies, and commercial partners, all efforts focused on the mandate to compete, deter, and win in the space domain. May this good work advance the cause of peace around the world. And now Father, I lift up to you your faithful servants, General Jay and Molly Raymond. They have been called to lead, and they do so with so much grace and class. With great optimism and enthusiasm, they continue to answer their nation’s call. They are servant leaders. Thank you for the calling you’ve placed on their lives to be senior leaders for the space domain, but also to shepherd thousands of airmen, soldiers, sailors, Marines, civilians, and contractors. This is a big job, and you are a big God. You have called them, and now, you will equip them with everything they need to successfully carry out this new mission. I know they look to you. You are their rock. You are their strong foundation, and I know you will continue to lead and guide them every step on this new and exciting journey. Finally, I commit to you every person tasked to support this new combatant command. Our nation is counting on us, and we are ready. Watch over us and grant us your favor. Give us courage and strength to faithfully carry out these important responsibilities. In your most holy name, I pray, amen.

Thank you North American Aerospace Defense Command and United States Northern Command Joint Color Guard Team, the vocal trio with Staff Sergeant Bolkar, Senior Airman Diaz and Airman First Class Kyo Michler for that beautiful rendition of our National Anthem, and Chaplain Irwin for those inspiring words. Ladies and gentlemen, please be seated. We are fortunate to have a number of distinguished and special guests with us today. Please hold your applause until each group has been recognized. The spouse of the Commander, United States Space Command and Air Force Space Command, Mrs. Molly Raymond. The command senior enlisted leader, United States Space Command and Air Force Space Command, Chief Master Sergeant Roger Towberman, and his wife, Ms. Rachel Rush. General Raymond’s brother-in-law, Mr. Joe Gary. General Raymond’s niece, Mrs. Jennifer Peterson and her husband Kyle. Raymond family friend and mentor, Lieutenant General, Retired Burton Field. (audience applauding) The Honorable Doug Lamborn, Representative of the State of Colorado. The Acting Secretary of the United States Air Force, the Honorable Matthew Donovan. The Commander, United States Strategic Command, General John Hyten and Mrs. Laura Hyten. The command senior enlisted leader, United States Strategic Command, Chief Master Sergeant Patrick McMahon. The Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command and United States Northern Command, General Terrance O’Shaughnessy and Mrs. Donna O’Shaughnessy. The command senior enlisted leader, North American Aerospace Defense Command and United States Northern Command, Sergeant Major Paul McKenna and Mrs. Michella McKenna. The Lieutenant Governor of the State of Colorado, the Honorable Ms. Diane Primavera. The Mayor, City of Colorado Springs, the Honorable John Suthers and Mrs. Janet Suthers. Former United States Space Command Commander, General Howell Estes, United States Air Force, Retired. Former United States Special Operations Command Commander, General Charles Holland, United States Air Force, Retired. Former Air Force Space Command Commander, General Lance Lord, United States Air Force, Retired. Former Air Education Training Command Commander, General Stephen Lorenz, United States Air Force, Retired. (hands clapping) (audience applauding) We would also like to extend a warm welcome to all other general and flag officers, senior executive service members, commanders, senior enlisted leaders, joint combined allied and inter-agency representatives, community leaders, military personnel, and friends with us in attendance today. (hands clapping) (audience applauding) United States Space Command is our nation’s 11th and newest unified combatant command, but its establishment is not without precedence. We are building today’s command on the foundation of the extraordinary work of those in the first United States Space Command. 34 years ago, General Robert Herres established and accepted command of the first space-focused combatant command. Those warriors perspective space contributions to United States warfighting capabilities throughout the remainder of the Cold War and Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, largely considered the first space war, and beyond. In 2002, we disestablished the command, rolling its functions into the larger responsibility of United States Strategic Command. Despite that change, space contributions to combat effectiveness continued to expand. Our adversaries took note and began posturing to negate our advantages. Today, space is a contested warfighting domain. We must prepare to protect and defend our interests there. Accordingly, our national leadership directed the establishment of the United States Space Command as a geographic combatant command with a mission to deter aggression, and should deterrence fail, to fight and win in order to preserve U.S. and allied interests in space. In a national-level ceremony on 29 August in Washington DC, President Donald J. Trump directed the Secretary of Defense, Mark T. Esper, to sign the establishment document. Immediately following the signing ceremony, the United States Space Command flag was unfurled. Today, we celebrate the establishment of the command and honor the warfighting men and women of the United States Space Command. In keeping with tradition, the flag was entrusted to the command senior enlisted leader, Chief Master Sergeant Roger Towberman, symbolically expressing the special trust and responsibility afforded to the command’s enlisted members. The flag is emblazoned with the U.S. Space Command seal which is designed with the bald eagle, a traditional symbol of American strength and vigilance. The eagle carries an olive branch in its right talon symbolizing the world-wide goal of peaceful operations in space. In its left talon is a cluster of 13 arrows, indicative of strength and power, to protect our citizens and allies. The arrowheads are fashioned as silver deltas, a symbol historically associated with space, representing change and innovation. Overlaying the blue globe with silver land masses are two white elliptical orbits representing the unity of U.S. Space Command with our warfighting partners. The orbits intersect over the United States, the terrestrial heart of the command. The silver and white Polaris signifies our constant presence and vigilance in space. Few among our national leadership team better understand this new national imperative for space than General Dunford. We are lucky to have had his leadership in shepherding the establishment of the new United States Space Command. It is my honor to introduce the 19th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Joseph F. Dunford, Jr. (audience applauding)

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, elected officials, Secretary Donovan, distinguished guests, senior military leaders, and most of all, to the men and women of the United States Space Command. It’s an honor to be with you here today. And General Raymond, I’m proud to be here with you and your leadership team. We’re fortunate to have the right leaders and the right time for this critical task. And to Molly Raymond and all the Space Command family members that are here, thank you for your continued service and sacrifice. I see a number of allies in the crowd who have traveled great distances. Had a chance to meet some of them in the reception. I think it’s appropriate. I just ask for the representatives of our allied nations to please stand up and be recognized. (audience applauding) It really does mean a lot that you went through so much effort to be here today. As you all know and as the narrator mentioned, we had a ceremony in Washington on the 29th of August to reestablish the United States Space Command. It was an important day, and it highlighted the president’s commitment to American leadership in space. A look back at history puts the importance of that commitment in perspective. In the early days of the Cold War, another period of great power competition, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik and put the first man in orbit. Those events sparked fear that we were falling behind in technological capability. In 1961, President Kennedy responded with a call to action. We then saw how executive branch leadership, a clear vision, and appropriate resources from the Congress enabled extraordinary achievement in space. By July 1969, President Kennedy’s vision was realized with Neil Armstrong’s giant leap for mankind and our nation. In the decades that followed, the United States enjoyed uncontested access to the military and commercial advantages of space. In my view, it’s not an overstatement to say that we’re at another Sputnik moment, and you could argue that the stakes are much higher than they were in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The reestablishment of Space Command should be understood as part of a broader effort to maintain our nation’s competitive advantage in space, but while space has implications far beyond the military dimension, I’d like to focus on the importance of Space Command to our national defense strategy and joint warfighting. The enduring mission of the Defense Department is to provide combat-credible military forces to deter war, protect the nation, and respond if deterrence fails. Today, we perform our mission in a very complex and volatile security environment. We’re once again in an era of great power competition. The character of war has changed, and the pace of change across the profession of arms, you could argue, is unprecedented. The competitive advantage we enjoyed after the Cold War has also eroded. For the last two decades, our adversaries have studied us and developed capabilities designed to exploit what they perceive to be our vulnerabilities. That dynamic has been particularly evident in space. The Russians and Chinese have seen how we leverage space to enhance our command and control, missile warning, navigation, targeting, and our overall warfighting capability. In response, they have developed jamming, cyberspace capabilities, directed energy weapons, on-orbit capabilities, and anti-satellite missiles. In 2015, both countries reorganized to place a greater emphasis on space and counter-space capabilities. In general, Iran and North Korea have less mature capabilities, but they still pose a threat. As General Raymond, General Hyten, and others have been saying for years, we can no longer take our access to space for granted. Space is a contested domain. The implications of that fact affects our ability to fight and win on future battlefields. In that context, we didn’t reestablish Space Command simply to compete in space. We formed this command as a foundational element of more effective joint warfighting. Those of you in this room have delivered the space capabilities we need in recent years, and no one has done it better. No one has done it better, but this is about taking it to the next level. Once again, the men and women of Space Command with a singular focus on one of five warfighting domains will integrate the joint and allied capabilities we need to defend our interests in space, to fight, and to win. I learned early in my career the value of seizing the high ground in a fight. Space Command will seize and hold the high ground. More importantly, in accomplishing that critical task, the United States Space Command will ensure that our soldiers, airmen, sailors, and Marines will never find themselves in a fair fight, and as I look around the room, I’m filled with confidence that we have the right leaders and the right team at the right time. With that, I’m gonna perform my most important responsibility this morning, introducing the commander of the United States Space Command, General Jay Raymond. Ladies and gentlemen, General Raymond. (audience applauding)

Good morning. Beautiful day, isn’t it? Chairman Dunford, Congressman Lamborn, Mr. Secretary, distinguished visitors, but most importantly, the men and women of U.S. Space Command, it is a spectacular day here at Peterson as we recognize the establishment of our nation’s 11th and newest unified combatant command. I thank the state and local leaders that are with us here today. I’d like to give a special shout-out to the mayor plus Mr. Bill and Frankie Tutt and Don Addy. Thank you for all you do for us. You provide us such great support, not only to us, but to our families. (audience applauding) I’d also like to take a moment to recognize my wife Molly, and when the Senate confirmed me for this position, the command won the lottery, and it wasn’t because of me, it’s because of Molly, and Molly’s worked tirelessly to take care of not only our family, but our military family, and so Molly, thank you very much. (audience applauding) I’d like to recognize Molly’s brother Joe and our niece Jenny and her husband Kyle for flying in from Minnesota to be with us today. It means a lot to us; thanks for being here. (audience applauding) And Chairman Dunford, by presiding over today’s ceremony, you honor this command. We can’t thank you enough. It means a lot to our space warfighters that you’re here, and on behalf of everyone in attendance today, thank you for your leadership of the joint force over these past four years for for your 42 years of service to our nation, thank you. (audience applauding) What a surreal couple weeks it’s been. It was the honor of my lifetime to represent the men and women of this command during a formal establishment ceremony at the White House in the Rose Garden. It’s pretty cool. President Trump presided over that ceremony along with Vice President Pence and Secretary of Defense Esper. In his remarks, the president stated, and I quote, “As the newest combatant command, “SPACECOM will defend America’s vital interests in space, “the next warfighting domain. “The establishment of the 11th combatant command “is a landmark moment.” He paused. He said, “No, this is a landmark day,” end quote. It was truly a landmark day, and I thank the president, the vice president, secretary of defense for establishing this new command and for the honor of being its first commander. The command’s inception couldn’t be more timely. We find ourselves at a strategic inflection point where there’s nothing we do as a joint force that isn’t enabled by space, and yet simultaneously, we can no longer have the luxury of assuming space superiority. We are the best in the world at space, and last Thursday with the establishment of U.S. Space Command, we’re even better because now, we have a command with a singular focus on space superiority. Many in this hangar remember the original U.S. Space Command right here at Peterson Air Force Base from 1985 to 2002. I was honored to serve on that command as a young major for a short period of time, and I know there are others that are here that have probably served in that command as well. General McMahon, thank you sir for being here. And we’re very honored to have with us General Howell Estes, former commander of U.S. Space Command. Sir, thank you, and thank you for your continued leadership and mentorship. When the Cold War ended and the threat to space diminished, we stood down the command and established USNORTHCOM focused on protecting our homeland in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. As a country, we are extremely lucky to have General O’Shaughnessy and Donna leading this critical command, and personally, Molly and I are lucky to call ’em neighbors and friends. Thanks for being here. In 2002 when the command deactivated, the responsibility for space transitioned to United States Strategic Command, and for the past 17 years, STRATCOM was the steward of this warfighting domain. We’ve been lucky to have commanders such as General Chili Chilton, General Bob Kaylor, Admiral Cecil Haney, and General John Hyten. General Hyten and his wife Laura are with us today. General Hyten is among the finest officers that I’ve ever had the privilege to serve with, even though he couldn’t get into Clemson. I had to throw that in there. (audience laughing) Sir, it’s been a great privilege to serve with you and under your command. I would ask you a favor. If you’d please pass along our sincere gratitude to the men and women of United States Strategic Command who have worked so tirelessly to advance the space mission and get us to this historic point. I also want to thank you in advance for your continued support because we’re gonna rely on you at Strategic Command as we get our warfighting legs underneath us. In 1985, in his speech at the establishment of the original Space Command, General Herres stated, “As we give birth to this new command today, “one cannot help but reflect upon how much “the world has changed within a short span of years “and to wonder also what kinds of change “must lie ahead in the years to come. “Those of us who will serve in this new command “are well aware that those changes are likely to have “significant impact upon our nation’s security needs, “and that change will bring difficult challenges before us, “so the mantle of responsibility that has been passed “is heavy indeed. “This command will have much to do with the preservation “of our nation’s capability to preserve peace, “assure our freedoms, and guarantee the sovereignty “of the United States for future generations.” So today, we’ve built on the legacy of this original United States Space Command, but this is a different command built for a different time. Built to compete, deter, and win in an extremely complex and quickly-evolving strategic environment. The new U.S. Space Command’s missions involve four distinct areas of focus. First, we will deter aggression and conflict from beginning or extending into space. We will strengthen our deterrence through the provision of space warfighting options that preserve U.S. and allied competitive advantages and promote security and stability. Let me be very clear: although space is clearly a warfighting domain, we do not want to fight a fight that extends into space. We seek to deter that conflict, and the best way I know how to do that is to do that from a position of strength. Next, we will defend U.S. and allied interests. To meet the demands of the national defense strategy, the new U.S. Space Command mission has a much sharper focus on offensive and defensive operations. Towards that end, we’ve established a joint task force for space defense, a first, and that’s under the command of Brigadier General Tom James. If deterrence were to fail in coordination with our joint force, inter-agency, allied, and commercial partners, we will lead the protection and defense of those critical capabilities that fuel both our way of life and our way of war. Third, we will deliver space combat power to our joint and combined force. Foundational to executing this effectively, we have designed U.S. Space Command to embed and build stronger partnerships with our unified combatant command partners and allies from the onset. Last week, we established a combined force space component command, another first, under Major General Stephen Whiting’s leadership. This command will work seamlessly with our allies to ensure our warfighters have the space capabilities that they’ve become accustomed to have over the years. And finally, we will develop ready and lethal space forces. A warrior ethos is a combat enabler. We will take our existing space warfighting culture, established with the original United States Space Command, honed in the Cold War, and hardened in the many conflicts since and adapt it to today’s strategic environment. We will further embed that warfighting culture among our greatest resource, our people, with a singular focus on space as a supporting and a supported combat capability. I couldn’t be more proud of the team. We need to recognize the fact that by establishing this command, we have reached a significant milestone. However, we have a big task ahead. We must move fast, and we must be bold in fielding space warfighting capabilities in order to execute our assigned missions. For the men and women that are standing in formation and for those in this command, you are the foundation of our great strength. You have my complete trust and confidence, and I couldn’t be more proud to serve at your side. You are the source of U.S. Space Command’s combat power, and I know that together, we will answer the call of our new national imperative for space. Now it’s time to get to work. Thanks a lot. (audience applauding)

[Mary] General Raymond will now receive his first salute as the Commander, United States Space Command. Leading the formation is the Chief of Staff, United States Space Command, Brigadier General Brook Lenoard.

Company, attention. Present, arms. (camera shutters clicking) (Brook talking) Order, arms.

Before we end today’s ceremony, we would like to say a special thank you to the 1st Space Brigade and the 21st Space Wing for showcasing your space warfighting displays. In keeping with tradition, please stand as we conclude with the Armed Forces Service Medley played by the United States Air Force Academy Ceremonial Band followed by the departure of the official party. Please remain in place until after the official party has departed the hangar and an usher has dismissed your row. General and Mrs. Raymond request the pleasure of your company in the main ballroom of the club for a reception in celebration of United States Space Command. Buses will depart following the ceremony to shuttle all personnel to the club or to Building One. On behalf of the United States Space Command, thank you for attending, and have a great day. (percussion instruments banging) (“The Army Goes Rolling Along”) (“Anchors Aweigh”) (“Marine’s Hymn”) (“Semper Paratus”) (“The U.S. Air Force”) (camera shutters clicking) (audience applauding)

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