After a 37-year career, Gen. Lance W. Lord, commander of Air Force Space Command, retired in a ceremony here today.

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley presided over the event. There were more than 700 current and former defense leaders, active and retired military members and civic leaders at the ceremony.

Vice commander Lt. Gen. Frank G. Klotz will temporarily assume command until Congress names General Lord’s successor.

General Lord has led the space command -- and its nearly 40,000 space and missile professionals around the globe -- since April 19, 2002.

During the ceremony, General Moseley presented General Lord with the Distinguished Service Medal, first oak leaf cluster, for his service.

General Lord -- fond of saying, “If you’re not in space, you’re not in the race” -- spoke about two highlights he was most proud of during his last command. First, he thanked the Air Force enlisted professionals who bestowed him with their highest honor, The Order of the Sword.

Second, he described the High Frontier Adventures program, which involves school children.

“Most recently, I had a chance to teach a math and science class with 27 young sixth-graders at the Discovery Canyon Campus north of here in Colorado Springs,” General Lord said. “Our whole idea was to get the word out from us to participate with young people to help drive their interest in science and mathematics.”

Colorado Governor Bill Owens declared March 3, 2006, Gen. Lance Lord Day in the state.

During his tenure the general had a long list of accomplishments. Among them: enabling the command to provide combat forces and capabilities to North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Strategic Command; supporting combat operations around the world to include Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom; establishment of the National Security Space Institute; the last Titan IV launch; and the Peacekeeper intercontinental ballistic missile weapon system deactivation.

General Moseley expanded on General Lord’s leadership.

“Lance, this current generation of space leaders and leaders across our entire Air Force looked to General Bennie [Bernard] Schriever as the pioneer and father of space and missiles,” General Moseley said. “However, I think there’s another leader among us that future leaders will look up to.

“The lieutenants and captains today, and the Airmen and cadets of today will grow up looking at you,” he said. “They’ll look at Lance Lord as that next generation of space leader because of what you’ve done."