A Sabre short-range ballistic missile launches in June 2017 at White Sands Missile Range, N.M., for a test of the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) Missile Segment Enhancement, an advanced missile defense system. (U.S. Army)
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Army on Thursday announced the establishment of the Space Operations Branch as it works to unite its new career fields.
The new branch brings together Army Space Operations Officers, currently designated as Functional Area 40, and enlisted Tactical Space Operations Specialists, designated under the recently established Military Occupational Specialty 40D, the service said. The branch was officially established on June 12.
“Land power requires warfighting expertise in all domains. What makes me proud is that our Army is not just building a capability, we’re growing professionals at every echelon,” Gen. Christopher LaNeve, the service’s acting chief of staff, said in a statement. “That’s what the 40D MOS is about — soldiers delivering the foundational excellence our Joint Force depends on.”
The new branch will relieve pressure on air defense, signal and military intelligence branches, which previously provided enlisted personnel to execute space missions on temporary tours, the Army said.
The Army currently uses hundreds of thousands of space-enabled systems to “enable multidomain operations,” according to the release.
“The Army is the largest user of space capabilities in the joint force, and space integration is absolutely critical to multidomain operations at every echelon,” said Lt. Gen. John Rafferty, the commander of U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command.
Versatile space systems and dedicated counterspace capabilities can protect U.S. assets and deny adversaries the ability to target joint forces from space, the Army said.
The new career field of enlisted specialists is expected to be in place by Oct. 1. The specialty is open to Army active duty, National Guard and Reserve component soldiers, the Army previously said.
The Army is planning about 1,000 40D billets, which could grow up to 1,500 by 2032. Officers may continue to request acceptance to become FA40s after serving in their basic branch.
Since U.S. Space Command was established by President Donald Trump in 2019, the military services have been building up their respective space capabilities. That same year, Trump also established the Space Force as a separate military branch.
“Establishing the Space Operations Branch is an important step in the Army’s continuous transformation,” Rafferty said.
