Pioneering Space Force: A Fireside Chat with General John W. "Jay" Raymond

Join the Wilson Center's Science and Technology Innovation Program for a fireside chat with Space Force General John “Jay” Raymond. We will take a closer look into the past, present, and future of the United States’ sixth and newest branch of the military, the Space Force. We will reflect on the progress made over its first years—the successes, challenges, and lessons learned—as well as offering insights into the road ahead.

Selected Quotes

“There's nothing that we do as a nation or as a joint and coalition force that isn't enabled by space.”

“Space underpins every instrument of our national power, whether it be diplomatic information, military, or the economy.”

"Space is a global domain, and so one of the big things that we've been focusing on is developing partnerships globally… After establishing the Space Force's independent service, we have really upped our game in the international collaboration piece and it's something that provides us and our partners great advantage. Historically, we've been in the data sharing business, but today we operate together, we train together… we exercise together, and now for the first time we're really building capabilities together."

"Back in 2019, the US decided to capitalize on an opportunity: An opportunity to elevate space to a level that was commensurate with its importance to national security, and there’s nothing that we do as a nation, or as a coalition force, that isn’t enabled by space… If you had a service that came to work every day focused on the space domain, we could elevate its importance, accelerate, and stay ahead of the strategic environment that we saw emerging."