The Senate on Thursday confirmed by voice vote Gen. Michael Guetlein, vice chief of space operations at the U.S. Space Force and a 2025 Wash100 awardee, as direct reporting program manager for the Golden Dome project.
President Donald Trump officially nominated Guetlein for the position in June.
Congressional Golden Dome Caucus Chair Rep. Jeff Crank, R-Colo., congratulated Guetlein on his Senate confirmation for the role.
“I am confident that under his leadership, President Trump’s vision to innovate our homeland missile defense through Golden Dome will soon become a reality – creating a strong deterrence against our adversaries,” Crank said in a statement published Friday.
Rep. Dale Strong, R-Ala., serves as co-chair of the Congressional Golden Dome Caucus, which was established in June in accordance with a January executive order directing the development of a next-generation missile defense shield.
Learn more about the Golden Dome initiative during a panel discussion at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Air and Space Summit on July 31. Book your spot at the GovCon conference now!
Who Is Michael Guetlein?
In 2023, Guetlein took on the role of vice chief of space operations to help train and equip space forces, integrate space policy and guidance, and coordinate space-related activities for the Space Force and the Department of the Air Force.
Prior to this position, he was commander of Space Systems Command.
Previous assignments of the newly confirmed Golden Dome czar include deputy director of the National Reconnaissance Office; program executive for programs and integration at the Missile Defense Agency; and director of the Remote Sensing Systems Directorate at Los Angeles Air Force Base.
The Oklahoma State University mechanical aerospace engineering graduate previously served as military assistant to the assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition and a Secretary of Defense Corporate Fellow.
