U.S. Space Force Lt. Gen. Douglas A. Schiess speaks at the Air, Space & Cyber Conference at National Harbor, Md., on Sept. 23, 2025. (Andy Morataya/U.S. Space Force)
WASHINGTON — Lt. Gen. Douglas A. Schiess has been nominated by President Donald Trump to serve as the Space Force’s next chief of space operations, the service announced on Friday.
“The Space Force has made tremendous progress in a short time, and our mission has never been more important,” Schiess said in a statement. “I’m humbled by the president’s nomination. If confirmed, I will focus on sharpening our lethality and accelerating the delivery of space capabilities to the warfighter, keeping the Space Force ahead against any adversary.”
Schiess would succeed Gen. Chance Saltzman, who has led the Space Force since November 2022 and is expected to retire this year.
“Leading the Space Force has been the privilege of a lifetime,” Saltzman said in a statement. “Doug is the right leader at the right time. He understands the mission, he understands the stakes and he will continue to push the Space Force to deliver the capabilities the Joint Force and the American people rely on.”
Since November 2025, Schiess has served as Deputy Chief of Space Operations for Operations. Schiess entered the Air Force in 1992 as a Distinguished Graduate of the Air Force ROTC program at the University of California, Los Angeles, and transferred into the Space Force in 2022.
He has commanded at the squadron, group, wing, joint component and field command levels. Schiess deployed to Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, in support of operations Enduring Freedom, Resolute Support and Inherent Resolve, according to his service biography.
