Gen. Bernard A. Schriever was the chief architect of the U.S. Air Force's early ballistic missile and space programs. His visionary leadership in the 1950s and 1960s made the USAF a world leader in developing military science and technology. Known as the “Father of Air Force space and missiles” he poses for a photograph with some of the systems created under his leadership. His management philosophy made rapid development possible. USAF
Photo Caption & Credits
2021 USAF & USSF Almanac: USSF Historical Lineage
July 1, 2021
Share Article
Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org
The U.S. Space Force traces its roots to the beginning of the Cold War, with the first Air Force space programs starting in 1945. USAF’s Western Development Division, under Gen. Bernard A. Schriever, was established in 1954 as the first dedicated space organization within the U.S. Armed Forces. Military space forces were organized under several different Air Force major commands until they were unified when Air Force Space Command was established in September 1982. In December 2019, AFSPC became the cornerstone for the U.S. Space Force as a separate military branch. Below, we trace space organizational lineage within the Department of the Air Force. Because the space mission was—and to some extent still is—spread across several commands, offices, organizations, divisions, and services, some entries are concurrent and non-USAF organizations are not listed. This Space Force history is not intended to be all-inclusive.
WESTERN DEVELOPMENT DIVISION
Gen. Bernard A. Schriever
July 1, 1953
May 31, 1957
AIR FORCE BALLISTIC MISSILE DIVISION
Gen. Bernard A. Schriever
June 1, 1957
April 24, 1959
Maj. Gen. Osmond J. Ritland
April 25, 1959
March 31, 1961
SPACE AND MISSILE SYSTEMS ORGANIZATION
Lt. Gen. John W. O’Neill
July 1, 1967
Aug. 31, 1969
Lt. Gen. Samuel C. Phillips
Sept. 1, 1969
Aug. 24, 1972
Lt. Gen. Kenneth W. Schultz
Aug. 25, 1972
Aug. 28, 1975
Lt. Gen. Thomas W. Morgan
Aug. 29, 1975
April 28, 1978
Lt. Gen. Richard C. Henry
April 29, 1978
Sept. 30, 1979
SPACE DIVISION
Lt. Gen. Richard C. Henry
Oct. 1, 1979
May 1, 1983
Lt. Gen. Forrest S. McCartney
May 1, 1983
Sept. 30, 1986
Lt. Gen. Aloysius G. Casey
Oct. 9, 1986
June 23, 1988
Lt. Gen. Donald L. Cromer
June 24, 1988
March 14, 1989
BALLISTIC MISSILE OFFICE
Maj. Gen. John W. Hepfer
Oct. 1, 1979
Oct. 31, 1980
Maj. Gen. Forrest S. McCartney
Oct. 31, 1980
May 19, 1982
Maj. Gen. Aloysius G. Casey
May 19, 1982
Sept. 30, 1986
Maj. Gen. Edward P. Berry Jr.
Sept. 30, 1986
March 14, 1989
SPACE SYSTEMS DIVISION (SSD) AND BALLISTICS SYSTEM DIVISION (BSD)
Lt. Gen. Donald L. Cromer (SSD)
March 15, 1989
May 31, 1991
Lt. Gen. Edward P. Barry Jr. (SSD)
July 8, 1991
June 30, 1992
Lt. Gen. Edward P. Barry Jr. (BSD)
March 15, 1989
May 30, 1989
Brig. Gen. Ralph G. Tourino (BSD)
May 30, 1989
May 4, 1990
SPACE AND MISSILE SYSTEMS CENTER
Lt. Gen. Edward P. Barry Jr.
July 1, 1992
Nov. 16, 1994
Lt. Gen. Lester L. Lyles
Nov. 16, 1994
Aug. 18, 1996
SPACE SYSTEMS DIVISION (SSD) AND BALLISTIC SYSTEMS DIVISION (BSD)
Maj. Gen. Osmond J. Ritland (SSD)
April 1, 1961
May 13, 1962
Lt. Gen. Howell M. Estes Jr. (SSD)
May 14, 1962
Oct. 2, 1962
Maj. Gen. Ben I. Funk (SSD)
Oct. 3, 1962
Aug. 31, 1966
Maj. Gen. Paul T. Cooper (SSD)
Sept. 1, 1966
June 30, 1967
Maj. Gen. Thomas P. Gerrity (BSD)
April 1, 1961
June 30, 1962
Lt. Gen. W. Austin Davis (BSD)
July 1, 1962
July 18, 1964
Maj. Gen. Harry Sands Jr. (BSD)
July 20, 1966
June 30, 1967
Maj. Gen. John L. McCoy (BSD)
July 20, 1966
June 30, 1969
SPACE AND MISSILE SYSTEMS CENTER
Lt. Gen. Roger G. DeKok
Aug. 18, 1996
Aug. 12, 1998
Lt. Gen. Eugene L. Tattini
Aug. 13, 1998
May 25, 2001
Lt. Gen. Brian A. Arnold
May 25, 2001
May 20, 2005
Lt. Gen. Michael A. Hamel
May 20, 2005
May 16, 2008
Lt. Gen. John T. Sheridan
May 16, 2008
May 16, 2008
Lt. Gen. Ellen M. Pawlikowski
June 3, 2011
June 19, 2014
Lt. Gen. Samuel A. Greaves
Jun 19, 2014
March 22, 2017
Lt. Gen. John F. Thompson
March 22, 2017
An Air Force Global Strike Command unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile launches during an operational test at 12:27 a.m. Pacific Time, Thursday, Oct. 29, 2020, at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. ICBM test launches demonstrate the U.S. nuclear enterprise is safe, secure, effective and ready to defend the United States and its allies. ICBMs provide the U.S. and its allies the necessary deterrent capability to maintain freedom to operate and navigate globally in accordance with international laws and norms. Tech Sgt. Patrick Harrower
AIR FORCE SPACE COMMAND
Gen. James V. Hartinger
Sept. 1, 1982
July 30, 1984
Gen. Robert T. Herres
July 30, 1984
Oct. 1, 1986
Maj. Gen. Maurice C. Padden
Oct. 1, 1986
Oct. 29, 1987
Lt. Gen. Donald J. Kutyna
Oct. 29, 1987
March 29, 1990
Lt. Gen. Thomas S. Moorman Jr.
March 29, 1990
March 23, 1992
Gen. Donald J. Kutyna
March 23, 1992
June 30, 1992
Gen. Charles A. Horner
June 30, 1992
Sept. 13, 1994
Gen. Joseph W. Ashy
Sept. 13, 1994
Aug. 26, 1996
Gen. Howell M. Estes III
Aug. 26, 1996
Aug. 14, 1998
Gen. Richard B. Myers
Aug. 14, 1998
Feb. 22, 2000
Gen. Ralph E. Eberhart
Feb. 22, 2000
April 19, 2002
Gen. Lance W. Lord
April 19, 2002
April 1, 2006
Lt. Gen. Frank G. Klotz (acting)
April 1, 2006
June 26, 2006
Gen. Kevin P. Chilton
June 26, 2006
Oct. 3, 2007
Lt. Gen. Michael A. Hamel (acting)
Oct. 3, 2007
Oct. 12, 2007
Gen. C. Robert Kehler
Oct. 12, 2007
Jan. 5, 2011
Gen. William L. Shelton
Jan. 5, 2011
Aug. 15, 2014
Gen. John E. Hyten
Aug. 15, 2014
Oct. 25, 2016
Gen. John W. Raymond
Oct. 25, 2016
Jan. 14, 2020
U.S. SPACE FORCE
Gen. John W. Raymond
Jan. 14, 2020
Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org
F-35As from the Vermont Air National Guard have deployed to Puerto Rico in recent days, continuing a major buildup of U.S. Air Force assets in Latin America aimed at combating drug trafficking and pressuring the regime of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
Four satellite missions will launch in the coming year to demonstrate on-orbit refueling, servicing, and repair capabilities to extend the lives of military satellites. Funded by different Department of Defense entities, each will also entail commercial efforts.
As 2025 draws to a close, Air & Space Forces Magazine selected several dozen of the best photos capturing exploration, activities, achievements, challenges, salutes, history, and milestones for Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Check them out below, and Happy Holidays!
Three weeks after being sworn in as the new Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Gen. Kenneth S. Wilsbach climbed into the cockpit of an F-22 fighter on Nov. 24 and prepared to take off from Langley Air Force Base, Va. Now he wants the rest of the Air Force’s top leaders to likewise…
The Space Force’s work to establish a pool of at-the-ready commercial satellite capacity during a crisis is moving out of the pilot phase as the service prepares to award its next batch of contracts in 2026.
A new White House new executive order, “Ensuring American Space Superiority,” emphasizes space security as a high priority for President Donald Trump and underlines the Space Force’s role in not only defending U.S. assets, but also in the attack mission.
The Air Force has given Northrop Grumman’s new Project Talon aircraft the official designation of YFQ-48A, the service announced Dec. 22. That makes Northrop's potential competitor for USAF's Collaborative Combat Aircraft program the third CCA to be designated an uncrewed fighter aircraft.
Subscribe to the Air & Space Forces Daily Report
The latest news from Air & Space Forces Magazine, as well as news from other leading publications, delivered right to your inbox every morning!
We’re sorry, there has been an error. Please review your input or try again later.
