A New Look for a New Military Service: General Raymond’s U.S. Space Force Uniform

When Gen. John W. “Jay” Raymond reported to the Pentagon for his first day as Chief of Space Operations for the United States Space Force (USSF) in 2019, he began the process of standing up the first new military service in 72 years. Raymond’s responsibilities were multifold, from defining the mission, to staffing the service, to establishing bases and other facilities. Significantly, he was also responsible for establishing a distinct culture for current and future Guardians, as USSF personnel are known.

Raymond believed that uniforms are “the heart of the culture of the service”—wearable expressions of an organization’s goals, values, and history. Over a period of more than two years, Raymond collaborated with a team of colleagues to design a “distinctive, forward-looking” dress uniform to represent the Space Force. Key members included Catherine Lovelady, USSF change management team program analyst, and Tracy Roan, chief of the USAF uniform office.

Notably, the team designed the garments for women before adapting them for men—a first for a U.S. military service. This approach was intended to signal women’s importance to the Space Force and reduce future tailoring costs. Lt. Col. Alison Gonzalez, deputy chief of strategy, worked with the tailors to identify functional and flattering cuts for women. Among other considerations, they thought carefully about the structure and ornamentation of the jackets, including placement of insignia, awards, and nameplates.

Gonzalez and Maj. Dylan Caudill, executive officer for the deputy chief of space operations, modeled the prototype uniforms at Space Force bases across the country to solicit feedback from Guardians in 2021. Further changes from the “uniform roadshow” included narrowing the opening on the collar and adjusting the fit of the pant. On May 3, 2022, Raymond premiered the uniform during an appearance before the Senate Armed Services Committee.

The Space Force dress uniform is distinguished through the following design characteristics:  

• Midnight blue color representing the deep expanse of space.
• Coat with partial standing collar and diagonal closure with six buttons, signifying the Space Force as the sixth military service.
• Buttons featuring delta, globe, and orbit symbols from the seal of the Space Force. The symbols represent, respectively: innovation, support for warfighting operations on Earth, and defense from threats from space. They draw from the emblem of the U.S. Air Force Space Command in acknowledgement of its foundational work in military space.
• Striped pant legs.

In 2024, the National Air and Space Museum acquired General Raymond’s complete Space Force uniform. The first official USSF dress uniform ever manufactured, and the first in the Smithsonian’s collection, it is now on display in the James S. McDonnell Space Hangar at the Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia. It represents an important addition the Museum’s collection of uniforms—each of which contains a multitude of stories, not only of the organizations they represent, but of the people who designed, made, maintained, and wore them.

This example of the Space Force uniform represents not only the new military service but also the biography of its wearer. As an undergraduate student at Clemson University, Raymond participated in the Reserve Officers' Training Corps. Upon graduation in 1984, he was commissioned into the U.S. Air Force. He took on leadership roles of increasing responsibility, including Director of USAF Space Forces supporting Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. Before joining the U.S. Space Force, he served as Commander of the USAF’s U.S. Space Command at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado.  

Raymond’s record of military service can be discerned from the awards and decorations on his coat. Over his 38-year career, he supported space operations at the highest levels of the U.S. Air Force and Space Force. The four silver star pins on the epaulette straps signify Raymond’s rank of General. The ribbon rack represents his numerous awards and achievements, including the Defense Distinguished Service Medal—the Department of Defense’s highest non-combat honor.