President Donald Trump has nominated Maj. Gen. John Rafferty Jr., chief of staff of U.S. European Command, to serve as the next commanding general of U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command, or USASMDC, and U.S. Army Forces Strategic Command at Redstone Arsenal in Alabama.
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In a general officer announcement published Monday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, a 2025 Wash100 awardeee, announced that Rafferty is also up for promotion to the rank of lieutenant general.
If confirmed, Rafferty will oversee USASMDC, which is responsible for developing and providing global space, missile defense and high-altitude capabilities for the Army, joint force and U.S. allies to enable multidomain combat effects, strengthen deterrence and enhance the detection of strategic attacks.
Who Is Maj. Gen. John Rafferty?
Rafferty assumed the role of chief of staff at European Command in Germany in July.
Before taking on his current assignment, he served as the commanding general of the 56th Artillery Command within the U.S. Army Europe-Africa in Germany.
His previous roles include chief of public affairs within the Office of the Secretary of the Army in Washington, D.C.; director of the Long Range Precision Fires Cross Functional Team at Fort Sill in Oklahoma; and commander of the 18th Field Artillery Brigade.
Rafferty began his Army career in 1987, enlisting as an infantryman before earning his commission as a field artillery officer.
The Longwood University graduate holds master’s degrees from King’s College London and the U.S. Army War College.
