Air Force General Tapped to Lead U.S. Space Command

U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. William Shelton has been nominated to serve as commander of Air Force Space Command, the U.S. Defense Department announced Sept. 10.

Shelton is the deputy to Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz. He previously commanded the Joint Space Operations Center at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.

Shelton, if confirmed, would receive his fourth star and succeed Air Force Gen. Robert Kehler, who was nominated to serve as commander of U.S. Strategic Command.

The U.S. Air Force Space Command is managed from Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado. The command center is tasked to "provide an integrated constellation of space and cyberspace capabilities at the speed of need," according to a mission statement.

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