- The Army established the Space Operations Branch to create a permanent career path for soldiers specializing in military space operations
- The branch will support communication, navigation, targeting, missile warning and force protection
- Learn more about the threats that warfighters are facing in the space domain at the Potomac Officers Club at the 2026 Air and Space Summit on July 30
The U.S. Army has created a new branch that establishes a permanent career path for soldiers who specialize in military space operations.
The new Space Operations Branch consolidates space professionals from the Functional Area 40A Space Operations and 40D enlisted Tactical Space Operations Specialists, a newly introduced military occupational specialty, into a single force to provide the Army with space capabilities.
“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,” stated Lt. Gen. John Rafferty, commanding general of U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command.
Join space leaders from NASA, the National Reconnaissance Office, the U.S. Space Force and the U.S. Air Force to discuss orbital threats at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 Air and Space Summit on July 30. The event will explore key U.S. space initiatives, including the Golden Dome, the Electro-Optical/Infrared Weather System and Next-Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared missile warning satellite constellation. Sign up today to secure your seat.
Why Did the Army Create a Standalone Space Branch?
The Army previously relied on a rotating system, pulling enlisted personnel from the Air Defense Artillery, Signal and Military Intelligence branches to provide space capabilities and expertise to execute missions. The personnel were eventually sent back to their basic branches.
According to Rafferty, while the rotational system worked for a while, the modern battlefield demands a “sustainable approach to training, career progression and leader development” for the Army’s space professionals.
“This historic step ensures we build a highly-trained corps of space professionals to keep pace with the expanding force structure in our space brigade, multidomain task forces and theater strike effects groups,” he added.
The Army said the establishment of a permanent force for space operations will enable ADA, Signal and MI to assign soldiers to carry out critical missions and enhance overall service readiness.
How Will the Space Operations Branch Support Army Operations?
According to the Army, the branch will deliver space-based effects directly to soldiers and units at the tactical edge, supporting planning, communication, navigation, targeting, missile warning and force protection.
The announcement comes months after the service issued a call for applications for Tactical Space Operations Specialists, Payload reported. Soldiers in the specialty will be trained to deny, disrupt and degrade adversarial operations and counter threats in the space domain.
The Army’s space soldiers will be deployed to Army commands within the United States and locations around the world. Training will take place at the Army Space and Missile Defense School in Colorado Springs beginning Oct. 1.
