Richard “Dick” Palmer is the Director, Capability and Resource Integration (J8), United States Space Command. In this role, he is responsible for establishing the command’s capability priorities, implementing the command’s commercial integration strategy, overseeing modeling and simulation, executing the command’s budget and advocating for critical national security space capabilities. Prior to assuming this position, he served as the Deputy Director, Capability and Resource Integration, USSPACECOM, from June 2024 to June 2026. In that role, he supported the directorate’s efforts to integrate command requirements and resources in support of USSPACECOM missions.
Previously, he was the Chief of Resource Integration, Resource and Capability Integration Directorate (J8), USSPACECOM. He held this role from March 2019 to June 2024. Additionally, he served as the Special Assistant to the Commander, Combined Joint Task Force – Space Operations.
Before joining USSPACECOM in 2019, Mr. Palmer served as a Program Analyst at U.S. Strategic Command. During his time at USSTRATCOM, he led capability analysis efforts across a broad range of portfolios including Defensive Cyberspace Operations, Cyberspace Situational Awareness, Joint Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations, Positioning, Navigation and Timing, Satellite Communications, Navigation Warfare, Data Analytics and Space Control. Highlights of his time at USSTRATCOM include his work as the Cost Working Group lead for the Cyberspace Situational Awareness Evaluation of Alternatives and as USSTRATCOM lead for the Global Positioning System Operational Control Segment – Next Nunn-McCurdy study.
Mr. Palmer served on active duty in the U.S. Air Force from 2005 to 2010 as an Airborne Cryptologic Linguist proficient in Korean. He was assigned to the 97th Intelligence Squadron.
EDUCATION
2009, Associate of Arts, Korean Language Studies, Defense Language Institute, Monterey, Calif.
2009, Associate of Applied Sciences, Communications Technology, Community College of the Air Force, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2010, Bachelor of Science, Business, Bellevue University, Neb.
2012, Master of Business Administration, Heider School of Business, Creighton University, Omaha, Neb.
2012, Master of Science, Negotiation and Dispute Resolution, School of Law, Creighton University, Omaha, Neb.
CAREER CHRONOLOGY
1. January 2005–October 2010, Airborne Cryptologic Linguist, U.S. Air Force, Omaha, Neb.
2. April 2011–Mar 2019, Program Analyst, U.S. Strategic Command, Omaha, Neb.
3. July 2022–July 2023, Special Assistant to the Commander, Combined Joint Task Force–Space Operations, Colorado Springs, Colo.
4. March 2019–June 2024, Chief, Resource Integration Division, U.S. Space Command, Colorado Springs, Colo.
5. June 2024–May 2026, Deputy Director, Capability and Resource integration, USSPACECOM, Colorado Springs, Colo.
6. May 2026–present, Director, Capability and Resource integration, USSPACECOM, Colorado Springs, Colo.
(Current as of September 2026)