Guetlein

Michael Guetlein is a general in the United States Space Force who currently heads the Office of Golden Dome for America, the administration’s ambitious missile defense initiative. His career spans senior roles across the national security space enterprise, including founding commander of Space Systems Command and a term as deputy director of the National Reconnaissance Office. He most recently served as vice chief of space operations before taking on the Golden Dome assignment.

Guetlein is the military officer responsible for standing up Golden Dome, a layered missile defense architecture that will depend heavily on sensor fusion, autonomous intercept systems, and AI-assisted threat tracking. His public warnings about 2027 funding gaps put him at the center of the debate over whether the U.S. can field an integrated, autonomous defense network on its stated timeline.