Shawn Nicholas Bratton (born August 21, 1968)https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.128145/ is a United States Space Force general who serves as the third vice chief of space operations. He previously served as the first commander of Space Training and Readiness Command and deputy chief of space operations for strategy, plans, programs, and requirements. He is the first Space Force general officer to come from the Air National Guard.

Bratton enlisted in the Arizona Air National Guard in 1987, where he worked in aircraft control and early warning systems. In 1994, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant after graduating from the Academy of Military Science. He is a career space and cyber operations officer who commanded the 175th Cyberspace Operations Group. He also deployed to Iraq during the Iraq War.

Bratton led the creation of the Space Training and Readiness Command, becoming its first commander in 2021. In 2023, he transferred into the Space Force. In 2024, he was promoted to lieutenant general and became the Space Force's chief strategy and resourcing officer.

Education 1993 Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Education, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 1994 Academy of Military Science, Knoxville, Tennessee 1999 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Alabama 2005 Air Command and Staff College (ACSC), by correspondence 2010 Air War College, by correspondence 2011 United States Naval War College, in residence 2011 Master of Science in National Security Studies, United States Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island 2020 Enterprise Leadership Seminar (ELS), University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 2020 Leading Strategically, CCL Campus, Colorado Springs, CO 2021 Senior Leader Orientation Course (SLOC), Arlington, VA

Military career

In July 2023, Bratton was nominated for transfer to the Space Force and promotion to lieutenant general and assignment as deputy chief of space operations for strategy, plans, programs, and requirements. Following his confirmation on 5 December 2023, he transferred to the Space Force as a major general, becoming the first Space Force general officer to have come from the Air National Guard. On 22 December 2023, he was promoted to lieutenant general and became the Space Forces’s chief strategy and resourcing officer. In July 2025, he was nominated for promotion to general and assignment as the vice chief of space operations.

Assignments

April 1987 - December 1987, Student, Aircraft Control and Early Warning Systems, Keesler AFB, Miss. January 1988 - September 1994, Aircraft Control and Warning Radar Technician, 107th Air Control Squadron, Arizona Air National Guard, Phoenix, Ariz. September 1994 - October 1994, Student, Academy of Military Science, Knoxville, Tenn. October 1994 - August 1999, Communications Officer, 107th Air Control Squadron, Phoenix, Ariz. August 1999 - March 2000, Operations Officer, Joint Counter-Narcotics Task Force, Phoenix, Ariz. March 2000 - December 2003, Action Officer, HQ AFSPC/CG, Peterson AFB, Colo. January 2003 - June 2003, Student, USAF Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nev. July 2003 - July 2005, Weapons and Tactics, HQ AFSPC/A3, Peterson AFB, Colo. August 2005 - July 2007, Weapons Officer, Det 2, AZ ANG, Sky Harbor IAP, Phoenix, Ariz. August 2007 - July 2010, ANG Advisor to 14th Air Force, Vandenberg AFB, Calif August 2010 - June 2011, Student, Naval War College, Newport, R.I. June 2011 - February 2014, ANG Advisor to AFSPC/A3 & A6, Peterson AFB, Colo. March 2014 - May 2015, ANG Advisor to the Commander, AFSPC, Peterson AFB, Colo. May 2015 - June 2017, Cyber Ops Group Commander, 175th Wing, Warfield ANG Base, Md. July 2017 - January 2018, ANG Advisor to the Commander, AFSPC, Peterson AFB, Colo. April 2019 - August 2019, Special Assistant to Chief, National Guard Bureau for Space, National Guard Bureau, Peterson AFB, CO August 2019 - January 2021, Deputy Director, J3, USSPACECOM, CO February 2021 - August 2021, Space Training and Readiness Command Planning Lead, Peterson AFB, Colo. February 2021 – July 2023, Commander, Space Training and Readiness Command, Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado July 2023 – December 2023, Special Assistant to the Chief of Space Operations December 2023 – August 2025, Deputy Chief of Space Operations for Strategy, Plans, Programs, and Requirements, United States Space Force, the Pentagon, Arlington Va. August 2025 – present, Vice Chief of Space Operations, United States Space Force, the Pentagon, Arlington Va.

Awards and decorations Bratton is the recipient of the following awards: Command Space Operations BadgeMaster Cyberspace Operator BadgeSpace Staff Badge Air Force Distinguished Service MedalDefense Superior Service MedalBronze Star MedalMeritorious Service Medal with one silver and one bronze oak leaf clustersJoint Service Commendation MedalAir Force Commendation Medal with one bronze oak leaf clusterAir Force Achievement Medal with four bronze oak leaf clustersJoint Meritorious Unit AwardAir Force Outstanding Unit Award with two bronze oak leaf clustersAir Force Organizational Excellence AwardNational Defense Service Medal with one bronze service starIraq Campaign Medal with one bronze service starGlobal War on Terrorism Service MedalAir Force Overseas Short Tour Service RibbonAir Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with gold frameAir Force Longevity Service Award with one silver and three bronze oak leaf clustersAir Force Longevity Service Award (second ribbon to denote tenth award)Armed Forces Reserve Medal with one silver Hourglass deviceNCO Professional Military Education Graduate RibbonAir Force Small Arms Expert Marksmanship RibbonAir Force Training Ribbon with one bronze oak leaf cluster

Dates of promotion

+ Rank Branch Date Second lieutenant Air Force29 September 1994 First lieutenant30 September 1996 Captain3 October 1998 Major17 October 2002 Lieutenant colonel1 August 2007 Colonel26 May 2011 Brigadier general2 April 2019 Major general17 February 2022 Major general Space Force5 December 2023 Lieutenant general22 December 2023 General31 July 2025

Writings

References