Col John D. Patrick is the Commander of U.S. Space Forces – Japan (SPACEFOR-JPN), a U.S. Space Force field component under U.S. Space Forces Pacific and assigned to the U.S. Forces Japan (USFJ) sub-unified command. He is responsible for integrating U.S. Space Forces, allied, and coalition space operations with U.S. Forces Japan combatant commander’s, component forces, allies, and partner nations through command and control, space planning and space system employment. Additionally, he is focused on collaborating with Japanese governmental, military, civil and commercial space entities across the Area of Responsibility focused on developing capabilities across all space functional areas.
Col Patrick graduated from Brigham Young University and entered the Air Force in 1998 through the Officer Training School program. He is an experienced space operator, with operational experience at the 4th Space Operations Squadron as a satellite control officer, 50th Operations Group Chief of Inspection Compliance, Satellite Operations Lead Instructor, and Group Executive Officer. Col Patrick also served as the Inspector General space Operations team lead for Air Force Space Command HQ. Following Air Command and Staff College, Col Patrick commanded the 369th Recruiting Squadron, where he executed a $1.2M budget to recruit highly qualified talent from seven countries and five territories across the Pacific. He was then stationed at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, leading efforts to establish Space as an Operational Domain within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Col Patrick then established NATO’s Combined Force Space Component Command and the NATO Space Operations Centre and served as both the Chief of Staff of the Component and the Director of the Space Operations Centre at Ramstein Air Base, Germany.
Prior to his current assignment, he served as the commander of U.S. Space Forces Korea (SPACEFOR-KOR), where he was responsible for coalition space operations as well as command and control reporting directly to the United States Forces Korea (USFK) Commander. Additionally, he was charged with space integration in support of the Republic of Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command and USFK, by providing space planning and employment expertise.
EDUCATION
1995 Bachelor of Arts, History, Brigham Young University
2007 Master of Space Studies, American Military University
2012 Air Command and Staff College (in Residence), Master’s in Military Operational Art/Science, Air University
2012 Air War College (by correspondence)
2024 Senior Leader Development Course - PACOM, Alan L. Freed Associates, Washington D.C.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. 1 May 1998 - 1 January 1999, Satellite Operations Student, Vandenberg AFB, Colo.
2. January 1999- August 1999, Satellite Operations Officer 4th Space Operations Squadron, Schiever AFB, Colo.
3. August 1999 - March 1999, Operations Procedures Officer, 4th Space Operations Squadron, Schiever AFB, Colo.
4. March 1999 - April 2001 Chief Command Section, 4th Space Operations Squadron, Schiever AFB, Colo.
5. April 2001 - August 2001, Group Space Systems Evaluator, 50th Space Operations Group, Schiever AFB, Colo.
6. August 2001- January 2002, Chief, Group Compliance Section Satellite, 50th Space Operations Group, Schiever AFB, Colo.
7. January 2002 - January 2004, Satellite Operations Lead Instructor, 533d Training Squadron, Vandenberg AFB, Calif.
8. January 2002-August 2005, Executive Officer, 381st Training Group, Vandenberg AFB, Calif.
9. August 2005 - December 2007, Chief Satellite C2 Inspector, Inspector General Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
10. December 2007 - October 2008, Executive Officer, Inspector General Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
11. October 2008 - June 2010, Deputy Branch Chief Operations, Inspector General Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
12. June 2010 - June 2012, Operations Officer, Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
13. June 2012 - June 2013, Student Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
14. June 2012 - June 2013, Operations Officer/Deputy Director of Staff, Spaatz Centre, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
15. June 2013 - June 2014, Chief, Standardization and Evaluation, 30th Ops Group, Vandenberg AFB, Calif.
16. June 2014 - Jun 2016, Commander, 369th Recruiting Squadron, Encino, Calif.
17. June 2016 - Jun 2019, Staff Officer Space Operations, Mons, Belgium
18. June 2019-July 2024, Space Component Chief of Staff/Director NATO Space Centre, Ramstein AB, Germany
19. July 2024-June 2026, Commander, U.S. Space Forces Korea, Osan AB, Republic of Korea
20. June 2026 - Present, Commander, U.S. Space Forces – Japan, Yokota AB, Japan
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 2016 – July 2019, Staff Officer Space Operations, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, Mons, Belgium as a Lt Col
2. July 2019 – July 2024, Chief of Staff Combined Forces Space Component Command NATO, Allied Air Command, Ramstein AB, Germany as a Colonel
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
NATO Meritorious Service Medal
Cruces del Mérito Aeronáutico (issued by Ministry of Defense for the Kingdom of Spain)
Defense Superior Service Medal with First Oak Leaf Cluster
Joint Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with Four Oak Leaf Clusters Air Force Commendation Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant April 24, 1998
First Lieutenant April 24, 2000
Captain April 24, 2004
Major September 01, 2007
Lieutenant Colonel January 01, 2013
Colonel December 01, 2023
(Current as of June 2026)