Hatcher assumes command of Space Forces Korea

Col. Dorian C. Hatcher assumed command of U.S. Space Forces – Korea on June 2, succeeding Col. John D. Patrick in a ceremony at Osan Air Base officiated by Brig. Gen. Brian Denaro, commander of U.S. Space Forces Indo-Pacific.

“The U.S. network of alliances and partnerships represents a tremendous asymmetric advantage in the Indo-Pacific,” Denaro said. “The [U.S.-South Korea] alliance remains one of the strongest in the world because it is built on shared interests, interoperability, trust and readiness. And increasingly, that alliance is strengthened through integrated space operations.” He added that the U.S. Space Force was created to meet “the demands of the competitive strategic environment that define the 21st century and continues to increase warfighting readiness, develop Guardians and strengthen partnerships.”

In remarks highlighting the role of the unit’s commander, Denaro said the position has traditionally expanded space’s role in combined planning and exercises, strengthened operational integration, and built enduring relationships across the joint and combined force, emphasizing the need to build a team that understands deterrence is built daily through professionalism, integration and trust. He described the moment as “a critical period for both the Space Force and the alliance.”

“As the single voice for space on the peninsula, our mission is unequivocally focused on warfighting and joint integration,” Hatcher said. “We are here to provide the space planning and employment expertise required to command and control space forces effectively in this theater. By seamlessly weaving space combat power into shared operations, expanding our shared domain awareness and integrating deeply with our South Korean allies, we guarantee that the joint force remains ready to deter and defeat any threat to the U.S.-South Korea alliance, in, from and to space.”

For Hatcher, who transferred from the U.S. Army to the U.S. Space Force in 2023, the assignment returns him to where his military career began. “In 1997, I served on this peninsula as a U.S. Army private 1st class — it was my very first duty station,” he told the audience. “To return decades later and lead our Guardians as we integrate space into this critical joint fight is a true full-circle moment for me.”

USSPACEFOR-KOR, established Dec. 14, 2022, is the Space Force’s first forward-deployed field component. The unit provides space planning, expertise, and command and control to the U.S. Forces Korea commander, and is co-located with 7th Air Force headquarters and the 607th Air Operations Center. Under previous leadership, it stood up the first forward-deployed Space Operations Center, enabling rapid command and control alongside allies and partners, and launched specialized warfighting exercises such as Polaris Hammer to train commanders on theater-specific space threats.

Hatcher most recently served as deputy commander for operations at Space Launch Delta 30 at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, where he supported a team of more than 11,000 personnel and oversaw integrated launch and range operations across the Western Range, including national security space launches and developmental missile system testing.

Patrick, the outgoing commander, will next lead U.S. Space Forces – Japan at Yokota Air Base.