LTG John Rafferty
Commanding General, USASMDC
Lieutenant General John Rafferty assumed command of the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command, Joint Functional Component Command for Integrated Missile Defense, and Joint Task Force-Gold on April 29, 2026.
USASMDC is a multicomponent warfighting team comprising two Army air and missile defense commands, the Army’s space brigade, and cutting-edge science and technology and capability development organizations. USASMDC serves as the Army Service Component Command to U.S. Northern Command, U.S. Space Command, and U.S. Strategic Command while JTF-Gold serves as the operational arm of U.S. NORTHCOM’s integrated air and missile defense enterprise.
Rafferty enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1987, serving as an infantryman with the 8th Infantry Division before attending Longwood University, where he was commissioned as a field artillery officer.
He was first assigned to 5th Battalion (Air Assault), 8th Field Artillery (FA) Regiment of the 18th FA Brigade (Airborne) at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, as a fire direction officer and platoon leader. He then served as the fire support officer for B Company, 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment at Fort Benning, Georgia.
Following the USMC Amphibious Warfare School at Quantico, Virginia, Rafferty was posted with the 1st Armored Division Artillery in Baumholder, Germany, as a staff officer before commanding B Battery, 1st Battalion, 94th FA (MLRS), and then Headquarters Battery 1st Armored Division Artillery. He was selected as the FSO for 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment at Hunter Army Airfield and deployed for combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
After attending the UK Joint Services Command and Staff College in Shrivenham, England, Rafferty was assigned to 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th ID at Fort Richardson, Alaska, where he served as the brigade fire support officer and brigade operations officer during combat operations in Iraq. He was then assigned as an Army Liaison to the U.S. Congress in the Office of the Chief of Legislative Liaison in Washington, D.C.
Rafferty was reassigned to Fort Bragg to command the 1st Battalion, 319th Airborne FA Regiment, 3rd BCT, 82nd Airborne Division before attending the U.S. Army War College where he completed the Advanced Strategic Art Program. He returned to OCLL as deputy chief of the House of Representatives division before deploying to Afghanistan, as advisor to the commander, International Security Assistance Force/U.S. Forces-Afghanistan.
Upon redeployment, Rafferty assumed command of the 18th FA Brigade at Fort Bragg and deployed again to the middle east for Operations Inherent Resolve and Spartan Shield. He was then the executive officer for the director of the Army Staff. As a general officer, Rafferty served as director of the Long Range Precision Fires Cross-Functional Team, chief of U.S. Army Public Affairs, commanding general of the 56th Multi-Domain Command, and chief of staff, U.S. European Command.
His education includes a Bachelor of Arts from Longwood University, a Master of Arts from King’s College London, and a Master of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College.
He has been married to Tracey for more than 32 years and they have two adult children.
April 2026
