Upon U.S. Senate confirmation, one of Bowling Green’s own may assume the highest position in the U.S. military’s newest branch.
President Joe Biden nominated Lt. Gen. Chance Saltzman, a 1987 graduate of Bowling Green High School, to succeed Gen. John “Jay” Raymond as the next chief of Space Force. The confirmation hearing is expected to be in November.
Saltzman currently serves as Space Force deputy chief for space, cyber and nuclear operations. Since graduating from BGHS, he’s climbed the military ladder, working his way up from a second lieutenant in 1991 to a three-star lieutenant general in 2020.
The branches of the military are often demarcated by realm; the Navy provides water defense, the Air Force focuses on the air and the Army mostly covers land, for example.
But as the technological and cyber capabilities of the U.S. and other nations have developed, there’s been an emerging need for defense in a new realm: outer space.
The Space Force launched in 2019 as the military’s sixth military branch for that exact reason. Space-focused military work previously fell under the Air Force umbrella, but the new branch allows for an independent budget and team.
“All we’re trying to do is prevent a war in space, prevent a war in cyber,” Saltzman said during an event with alumni at his alma mater, Boston University.
Soon, Saltzman may be the leader of that effort.
In a statement from the Air Force Public Affairs Office, Raymond, who is retiring as the Space Force’s first chief of space operations, said he “couldn’t be more excited” about Saltzman’s nomination as the force enters its next chapter.
“His extensive space experience and deep understanding of how to integrate space into the defense of our nation have made him indispensable to the establishment of this service, and Guardians the world over will not find a more loyal teammate,” Raymond said.
Saltzman’s high school teachers previously told the Daily News that they didn’t peg him as a military guy. But he was “destined for success,” said Patsy Sloan, a former BGHS history teacher.
“He was an extremely gifted student,” Sloan said.
While he initially became involved in the Air Force to pay for Boston University tuition, Saltzman said he “fell in love with the mission and the people.”
“I’ve had one great job after another,” he said.
Saltzman’s long list of career titles is evidence of that.
His resume includes positions as Air Force nuclear missile operator, instructor at the Air Force Weapons School, commander of several squadrons operating out of Air Force bases in Vandenburg, Calif., and Buckley, Colo., and deputy commander of the U.S. Air Force Central Command, which required him to manage the day-to-day air war in the Middle East from Qatar’s Al Udeid air base.
In his role at the Space Force, Saltzman wants to focus on “adding value” to the U.S. defense system while avoiding “bureaucratic bloat,” he told his Boston University alumni audience.
Before being confirmed by the Senate, Saltzman’s nomination will go before the Senate Armed Services Committee.
“I am very honored and humbled by the nomination to be the second Chief of Space Operations,” he said in a statement from the Air Force Public Affairs Office. “If confirmed, (my wife) Jennifer and I will be committed to building on the incredible foundation Gen. Jay and Mollie Raymond put in place for our service and we are forever grateful for their service and dedication.”
– Follow regional reporter Sarah Michels on Twitter @sarah_michels13 or visit bgdailynews.com.
