Colonel James T. Horne III

Col James T. Horne III is the Commander, Space Launch Delta 30 and Western Launch and Test Range, Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. He commands spacelift and range operations in support of national and combatant commander requirements and supports operational and developmental missile system testing for the Department of Defense. He is responsible for $8.4B in assets, a $280M annual budget, installations spanning more than 118,000 acres and over 11,000 military, civilian, and contractor personnel.

Col Horne recently served as the Deputy Director, Assured Access to Space Directorate, and Deputy Director, Operations, Space Systems Command. He facilitated the integration of space mobility plans, policy, requirements, and capabilities to rapidly launch, sustain, and reconstitute national security space assets.

Col Horne received his commission from the United States Air Force Academy in May 2000 and earned a Masters of Business Administration from the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California in 2007. He transferred to the United States Space Force in June 2021. He has commanded the 30th Range Management Squadron at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.; served as Materiel Leader and Chief Engineer, Atlas V, at Los Angeles AFB, Calif.; and the Chief of ICBM Standardization and Evaluation, and as a Minuteman III Missile Combat Crew Commander, Evaluator and Assistant Director of Operations. His acquisitions experience includes work with Tactical Data Link systems in support of Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, and Noble Eagle, as well as space launch supporting the design, development, qualification and first flights of the Atlas V and Vulcan rocket programs. In the deployed environment he has served as a Personal Representative to Enemy Non-Combatant Detainees from the Global War on Terror, at the Joint Detention Group, Naval Base Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. His staff assignments include Headquarters Air Force and the Office of the Secretary of Defense.


EDUCATION
2000  Bachelor of Science in Management, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
2006  Squadron Officer School, Top Third Graduate, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2007  Master of Business Administration, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, Calif.
2010  Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2012  Air Force Strategic Policy Fellow, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
2015  Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2022  Leadership Development Program, Center for Creative Leadership, Colorado Springs, Colo.


ASSIGNMENTS
1. August 2000–May 2001, Assistant Regional Director of Admissions, AFROTC northwest region, Michigan Tech University, Houghton, Mich.
2. May 2001–January 2002, Student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Columbus Air Force Base, Miss.
U N I T E D S T A T E S S P A C E F O R C E
3. January 2002–March 2005, Acquisition Test and Program Manager, Hanscom AFB, Mass.
4. March 2005–April 2008, Systems Engineering Manager, Chief, Commander’s Action Group
and Atlas V Structures Branch Chief, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles AFB,
Calif.
5. April 2008–September 2008, Student, ICBM Qualification Training, Vandenberg AFB,Calif.
6. September 2008–June 2011, Chief, ICBM Standardization and Evaluation, 341st OG, also
Missile Combat Crew Commander, and Assistant Director of Operations 12th MS, Malmstrom
AFB, Mont.
7. June 2011–June 2012, Air Force Strategic Policy Fellow, OSD Policy, Middle East and Assistant
Vice Chief of Staff, Foreign Liaison & Executive Review, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
8. June 2012–May 2014, Program Element Monitor, Launch and Range, Secretary of the Air
Force for Acquisition, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
9. May 2014–October 2014, Personal Representative for Guantanamo Bay Enemy Non-
Combatants, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Pentagon, Washington, D.C. and Naval Base
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
10. October 2014–June 2015, Branch Chief, Congressional and Media Affairs, Secretary of the
Air Force for Acquisition, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
11. June 2015–June 2017, Commander, 30th Range Management Squadron, Vandenberg AFB,
Calif.
12. June 2017–July 2020, Materiel Leader and Chief Engineer, Atlas V Launch Vehicle System
Branch, Launch Enterprise Directorate, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles
AFB, Calif.
13. July 2020–June 2021, Executive Officer to the Commander, Space and Missile
Systems Center, Los Angeles AFB, Calif.
14. June 2021–August 2023, Deputy Director, Assured Access to Space, and Deputy
Director, Operations, Space Systems Command, Patrick Space Force Base, Fla.
15. August 2023–Present, Senior Materiel Leader, Launch Execution Delta, Assured
Access to Space Directorate, Space Systems Command, Patrick Space Force Base, Fla.

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster Air
Force Achievement Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Nuclear Defense Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with Gold Border

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2013 Lieutenant General Kelly H. Burke Award

DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 31, 2000
First Lieutenant May 31, 2002
Captain May 31, 2004
Major Feb 01, 2010
Lieutenant Colonel June 01, 2015
Colonel June 01, 2021


(Current as of July 2025)