Lt Col Jose L. Almanzar is currently assigned as the Commander, 19th Space Defense Squadron (SDS), Naval Support Facility Dahlgren, Virginia. He leads the development, resourcing, and integration of 19 SDS Guardians within Mission Delta 2. The 19 SDS generates, presents, sustains, and improves combat ready space domain awareness forces and capabilities that identify, characterize, innovate, and exploit opportunities to secure the nation's interests in, from, and to space.

Lt Col Almanzar entered the U.S. Air Force (USAF) in May 2008 through ROTC from Vaughn College of Aeronautics & Technology, New York, and transferred to the U.S. Space Force in October 2020. He is a master space operator and a graduate of the USAF Weapons School. Over his 16 year career, he has held leadership roles across multiple operational assignments to include flight commander, weapons instructor, executive officer, and joint all domain planner. He’s deployed to southwest Asia in direct support of Operation INHERENT RESOLVE and his staff experience includes tours with Headquarters, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Space Force and U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). Prior to his current position, Lt Col Almanzar was the Deputy Commander of the U.S. Space Force Special Operations Element, Headquarters, USSOCOM, MacDill AFB, Florida.