Gen. John W. “Jay” Raymond set to receive NDIA’s highest honor
March 16, 2023
Gen. John W. “Jay” Raymond (Ret), Chief of Space Operations, United States Space Force, is the 2023 recipient of NDIA’s Dwight D. Eisenhower Award, the…
First Chief of Space Operations, United States Space Force; Former Commander U.S. Space Command and Air Force Space Command; 38-year Veteran of U.S. Space Force and U.S. Air Force
Holding the unprecedented title of Chief of Space Operations for the United States Space Force, General John “Jay” Raymond is uniquely qualified to address innovation, leadership, and national security. His interesting anecdotes and eloquence transport audiences to a better version of themselves and their organizations.
The United States Space Force was founded in December 2019. It is the world’s only independent space force, an unparalleled accomplishment for the nation and for the Department of Defense. Gen Raymond served as our nation’s first Chief of Space Operations and is recognized as the father of our newest branch of the Armed Services.
In this presentation, General Raymond uses a series of anecdotes and story vignettes that demonstrate what it’s like to be a change-maker at the highest level of government. He describes designing and implementing a 21st century organization, building the force, developing its culture, and building global partnerships all while serving as a disruptive innovator for the Department of Defense. Audiences will hear the inside scoop on what it was like to develop a new branch of armed forces and leave with both the fascinating experience of hearing about this journey firsthand and the ability to utilize General Raymond’s lessons within their organizations.
“Space has become essential to our security and prosperity – so much so that we need a branch of our military dedicated to its defense, just like we have branches of the military dedicated to protecting and securing the air, land, and sea.”
Security in space is a vital national interest and a foundational aspect of the U.S.’s great power status. To demonstrate this, General Raymond begins by describing the complexity of today’s strategic environment and how space is central to successfully navigating the complexity of the world that we live in. Woven throughout the speech, Gen Raymond shares stories and vignettes to highlight the need to streamline and flatten bureaucracy, develop strong global partnerships, acquire capabilities at the need of speed, develop a fused relationship with commercial industry, and to shift from a hardware-centric to a software and data-centric organization.
Gen. John W. “Jay” Raymond was the first 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, the 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. His 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 first Chief of Space Operations, Gen. Raymond led the re-establishment of U.S. Space Command as the eleventh U.S. combatant command.
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