WASHINGTON — The U.S. Army is establishing its first-ever dedicated space career field for enlisted personnel, a shift that military officials say will better prepare the force for modern conflicts that span land, sea, air, cyber and space.
The new military occupational specialty (MOS), designated 40D for Space Operations Specialist, will create a permanent career track for enlisted soldiers specializing in space operations, a senior Army official announced May 2.
“These specialists will become the experts we turn to during the next conflict,” said Lt. Gen. Sean Gainey, commander of the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command.
The initiative, unveiled last August, has now received approval from the Army’s senior leadership.
Previously, only Army officers had access to a dedicated space operations career path. Enlisted soldiers working in space-related positions were drawn from other specialties such as engineering, air defense, signals or intelligence, often returning to those fields after completing a space assignment.
“To date, the preponderance of expertise and experience in space operations resides in the officer corps instead of the non-commissioned officer corps,” Gainey said. “This new space operations MOS will ensure that specialists through command sergeants major arrive at Army space formations with experience and expertise in space operations.”
The change comes as military planners increasingly recognize space as a contested domain crucial to modern warfare. Army space professionals will focus on tactics to disrupt or interdict adversaries’ satellite networks.
Army officials said the initiative is designed to be budget-neutral. While personnel currently “loaned” to space units will return to their original fields in air defense, signal, and intelligence, their positions will be converted to the new space operations specialty.
The move aligns with broader Department of Defense efforts to enhance space capabilities in the face of China’s advances in anti-satellite technologies. Military analysts note that as satellite communications, GPS navigation, and space-based intelligence become increasingly essential to ground operations, the Army’s investment in specialized space personnel reflects the growing interdependence of traditional land warfare with capabilities in newer domains.