U.S.
VideoAir Force general sworn in as first Space Force leader
Stars and Stripes
January 14, 2020
Vice President Mike Pence, right, swears in Air Force General John Raymond as Chief of Space Operations, as his wife, Molly, center, holds a bible in the Vice President's Ceremonial Office at the Executive Office Building, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2020 in Washington. (Steve Helber/AP)
WASHINGTON — Vice President Mike Pence on Tuesday presided over the historic swearing-in ceremony of the first leader of the U.S. Space Force, the newest branch of the U.S. armed forces.
Air Force Gen. Jay Raymond was sworn in as the Space Force's first-ever Chief of Space Operations.
The Space Force was inaugurated as a separate branch of the U.S. military in December 2019.
In his new role, Raymond will also serve on the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Pence stated that Raymond comes from a family with a rich military heritage, noting that since 1865 the Raymond family has had somebody in uniform serving in the U.S. armed forces.