Ireland Degges
Executive Mosaic is pleased to honor Gen. Stephen Whiting, commander of the U.S. Space Command, with a 2024 Wash100 Award for his work to transform U.S. Space Force components and define the future of SPACECOM by driving collaboration and technological innovation.
The Wash100 popular vote contest is now underway! Click here to cast a vote for Whiting as your favorite 2024 winner.
The annual Wash100 Award is the most elite recognition for government contracting industry executives. To choose its winners, Wash100 puts each nominee through an intense selection process and selects those with the strongest impact on the field to join its ranks. It also looks at each leader’s anticipated future success.
Whiting has an extensive background in military space activities. Prior to joining SPACECOM, he served as the first head of the USSF’s Space Operations Command, where he was responsible for the preparation, generation and sustainment of combat-ready intelligence, cyber, space and combat support forces.
He was nominated for his current role in July and formally assumed the position during January change of command ceremony.
Whiting will kick off the Potomac Officers Club’s 2024 Space Summit on March 5 with a keynote address. At the event, he will be joined by numerous other space leaders who will come together to discuss the challenges and opportunities presented by the space domain. Click here to learn more, and click here to register to attend the summit.
“Gen. Whiting took the helm of the U.S. Space Command earlier this year, during a time in which global competition, opportunities and adversarial threats in space are on the rise. Gen. Whiting already made history as the first-ever head of the Space Operations Command in 2020, and now, he takes the reins of SpaceCom at a pivotal moment as the Space Force reorganizes its forces and the Pentagon’s satellite activity increases. We look forward to Gen. Whiting’s space leadership during this important moment, and we’re pleased to include him on our list of change-makers for 2024,” said Jim Garrettson, CEO of Executive Mosaic and founder of the Wash100 Award.
While leading SpOC, Whiting repeatedly emphasized the significance of the space domain for national security and advocated for the advancement of space technology.
During a virtual National Defense University Foundation National Security Briefing in February 2023, Whiting noted that space “is now a location from which billions and billions of dollars of economic activity accrues every year,” making it “worth protecting in our economy.” He also pointed out that national defense “is dependent on space as well” and the “entire joint force is sized with the assumption that space will be available through all levels of conflict.”
Whiting is a strong proponent of industry partnerships, which he said “expand our space capabilities,” as a means to tackle these challenges.
In March, Whiting helped establish an operational watch unit at the Space Information Sharing and Analysis Center, which has a goal of driving industry collaboration to combat threats in space. The new Operational Watch Center is designed to integrate the defense of space-based assets with accelerated response times.
“The vision of Space ISAC is precisely what is needed if we’re going to stay ahead of pacing threats as well as strengthen the cyber resilience of systems in space and supporting the infrastructures on the ground,” Whiting said. “Through the information sharing of Space ISAC, the space enterprise will be able to be smarter, faster and more safe.”
As SPACECOM commander, Whiting has continued his commitment to progressing U.S. space activities through technology and partnerships.
In his confirmation hearing, he highlighted the “incredible capability” offered by private sector space organizations and shared that he sees SPACECOM working with the Department of Commerce to take advantage of industry technology.
He said that through this anticipated collaboration, “there will be a chance to partner together so that, for example, the U.S. government isn’t paying twice for commercial space situational awareness data that may be useful to both of us.”
During his change of command ceremony, Whiting laid out his priorities for SPACECOM, noting preserving freedom of action in space and delivering space capabilities to the Joint Force to ensure space superiority as key focus areas moving forward. He once again underscored the importance of collaboration to address threats from competitors.
“We will provide a formidable deterrent against potential adversary aggression and we will be prepared to win across all levels of conflict, through the employment of military spacepower and integrated transregional missile defense support capabilities, while maximizing our [partnerships] with Allies, partners, our interagency teammates, commercial industry, and academia,” he said.
Executive Mosaic congratulates Whiting on his first Wash100 Award win and looks forward to seeing his proven commitment to transforming U.S. space operations continue in the future.
