Maj. Gen. Anthony Mastalir concluded his three-year leadership of the U.S. Space Force's Pacific command during a ceremony at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii.
According to The Honolulu Star-Advertiser, Mastalir transferred command of U.S. Space Forces Indo-Pacific to Brig. Gen. Brian Denaro, after establishing the service's first regional command across the Pentagon's largest operational area.
Space Force commandant Gen. Chance Saltzman attended the ceremony and praised Mastalir's achievements in building the command from scratch. "As the first leader of this new command, Gen. Mastalir faced unique challenges," Saltzman said during the ceremony, noting that Mastalir had successfully developed concepts for space warfighting, formalized exercises, and built crucial security partnerships throughout the region. The change of command coincides with a massive Department of the Air Force exercise bringing 400 aircraft, thousands of troops, and nearly 700 Space Force "guardians" to islands across the Pacific and Indian Oceans.
From Humble Beginnings to Strategic Command
Mastalir described the command's early days with striking candor, comparing it to a survival challenge. "If I'm being honest, the early days of this command were a little like the reality TV show 'Survivor,'" he said during the ceremony, explaining they began with just a handful of junior operators, no property, equipment or funding – only an idea that space represents a critical warfighting domain.
The Space Force, established in December 2019 during Trump's first administration, initially faced skepticism despite addressing a critical security need. Before the Space Force's creation, its personnel answered directly to Air Force commanders without dedicated regional command structures.
Mastalir arrived in Hawaii with significant experience, having previously led space operations supporting Middle East campaigns against ISIS in Iraq and Syria, as well as operations in Afghanistan, including the 2021 evacuation. He faced the daunting task of building a command without precedent or established doctrine.
Space Domain Critical in Pacific Theater
The vast Pacific region presents unique challenges that make space capabilities essential for U.S. military operations. Gen. Saltzman emphasized this reality, noting that "the vast oceans and limited land masses of the Pacific make for a uniquely challenging operational environment; everything from communications to intelligence to targeting becomes exponentially more difficult across those distances."
Although the Air Force historically managed most U.S. military space missions, including those in Hawaii, Space Force advocates successfully argued that satellite systems for communication, surveillance, and other critical functions required a dedicated service. The branch's importance has grown as satellites become increasingly vital to global economic and military systems, from navigation to telecommunications.
Mastalir highlighted the guardian's critical role, explaining that they are "the first to know when a missile launches out of North Korea or China," can assess satellite communications integrity, and understand adversaries' space dependencies. This capability has become increasingly important as China rapidly develops its own military space program focused on the Pacific region.
International Partnerships and Future Leadership
Under Mastalir's leadership, the command developed strong relationships with allied militaries across the region. These partnerships included personnel exchanges with Australia and even the appointment of an Australian officer as deputy commander for U.S. space operations in the Pacific.
"Our allies have rightly observed that navigating the U.S. space enterprise can be confusing, but Space Force Service components today serve as the front door ready to make connections necessary and guide our regional allies and partners," Mastalir explained. He emphasized that physical presence in the region creates the trust necessary for effective security partnerships.
The new commander, Brig. Gen. Brian Denaro, brings his own Pacific experience to the position. Coming from the Pentagon, Denaro previously served as an Olmstead scholar in China, and his teenage children were born in Hawaii, giving him personal connections to the region.
Space Force's Expanding Global Mission
Maj. Gen. Mastalir's successful establishment of the Pacific Command created a template now replicated worldwide. Gen. Saltzman noted that since the Indo-Pacific command's creation, "we've established similar component commands supporting U.S. interests in Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East and in the continental United States, all to great effect for our joint partners."
The Space Force has evolved from its controversial beginnings to gain bipartisan support in Congress, with several other countries developing their own space forces. This growth reflects the increasing militarization of space despite international treaties against such development.
Space capabilities have proven decisive in modern conflicts as demonstrated in Ukraine, where Starlink satellite communications provided tactical advantages against Russian forces. However, this also revealed vulnerabilities when access was restricted at critical moments by private operator decisions.
