Executive Mosaic is honored to present Gen. John Raymond, chief of space operations at the U.S. Space Force, as an inductee into the 2021 Wash100 for driving modernization priorities and digital strategy to provide economic and national security to our nation.
This marks Raymond’s second consecutive Wash100 Award. He received his first Wash100 Award in 2020 for his notable leadership within the nation’s Space Command, as well as enabling readiness for warfighters and advocating for a U.S. Space Force unit.
Since the U.S. Space Force was established in Dec. 2019, the unit has worked to organize, train and equip the nation’s warfighters to protect U.S. and allied interests in space and provide space capabilities to the joint force. Throughout 2020, Raymond led several notable initiatives to establish the Space Force as a digital service that has worked to support critical missions.
In Sept. 2020, Raymond announced that the U.S. Space Force is establishing a digital service that leverages the latest technology platforms to provide economic stability and security to the U.S. and its allies. He said the service branch is also working on a strategic roadmap called Space Force Planning Guidance.
The Space Force Planning Guidance “will involve things like streamlining the over 60 offices responsible for elements of space policy, oversight and force structure to creating a new ‘Technology and Innovation Office’ to sustain our competitive advantage,” Raymond wrote.
He cited the need for the service to act with a sense of urgency to implement the National Defense Strategy and stay ahead of peer competitors like Russia and China. Raymond added that future conflicts will be “wars of cognition,” in which forces will strive to have a comprehensive view of the battlefield and gain access to real-time intelligence.
Raymond also discussed how the Space Force has leveraged digital technologies to support its mission and remain agile and resilient in the modern space race. In Sept. 2020, Raymond noted that the Space Force’s design will ensure that electronic and computing-based capabilities underpin its structure.
One of the Space Force’s major initiatives throughout the year was establishing and integrating a digital workforce, digital headquarters and digital engineering. “In order to outpace our adversaries in space, the Space Force intends on being a digital service from the ground up,” Raymond stated.
To meet the requirements of a digital future, the Air Force launched the Digital University program to help increase digital literacy by providing access to free courses to the Department of the Air Force and Space Force. Digital University will support the needs of Airmen by providing 100,000 licenses to access more than 12,000 courses.
“In addition, to increase the digital fluency of the entire force, we have issued 6,000 licenses to Digital University,” Raymond said. “Our expectation is that all Space Force members will speak a second language. And that language is digital.”
Because of the Space Force’s notable accomplishments throughout 2020, in early 2021, the service branch was added to the U.S. intelligence community and now serves as the ninth Department of Defense component in the interagency group.
“This is a significant milestone, a clear statement that America is committed to a secure and accessible space domain,” Raymond said. The U.S. Space Force’s addition to the IC underscores the domain’s importance in intelligence and military operations while ensuring interoperability, future technology development and global strategic awareness.
In addition to the Space Force’s induction to the IC, Raymond was added to the Department of Defense’s (DOD) Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), joining the most senior military officers, where he will advise the secretary of defense and the U.S. president on military matters.
With the significant milestones Space Force has accomplished throughout 2020, the branch is well positioned for success, moving forward with critical space missions. Late last year, Raymond announced that the service plans to establish a Space Systems Command (SSC).
Raymond noted that SSC’s organizational structure will be based on the Space and Missile Systems Center’s functions related to consolidating enterprise acquisition programs in efforts to quicken the pace of fielding technologies.
“It builds some unity of effort and allows competition between disruptors and prototypers and more traditional acquisition organizations,” Raymond noted. “We’re excited about how this is going to materialize.”
Executive Mosaic congratulates Gen. John Raymond and the U.S. Space Force team for their 2021 Wash100 Award selection. Raymond’s efforts throughout the year have strengthened warfighter readiness and digital fluency, enabling the branch to remain competitive in the future of warfare and space.
