U.S. Army Establishes Space Operations Branch as Permanent Warfighting Specialty
On June 26, 2026, the U.S. Army announced the creation of the Space Operations Branch, formalizing space as a permanent warfighting specialty. Stemming from the 2024 Army Space Vision, the branch introduces two new military occupational specialties (Space Operations Officers and Tactical Space Operations Specialists) and an astronaut role. The Army aims for about 1,000 soldiers initially, potentially rising to 1,500 by 2032, with training starting October 2026. Brig. Gen. Don Brooks hailed it as a culmination of 27 years of effort to normalize Army space operations.
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Army launches new branch for military space operations
On June 26, 2026, the U.S. Army announced the establishment of the Space Operations Branch, a dedicated career field for soldiers specializing in military space operations. The branch formalizes space as a permanent warfighting specialty, focusing on protecting U.S. assets and preventing adversaries from targeting joint forces from space. The initiative stems from the 2024 Army Space Vision. Two new military occupational specialties were created: Army Space Operations Officers (Functional Area 40) and Tactical Space Operations Specialists (40D), along with MOS 40C for Army Astronauts detailed to NASA. The Army seeks experienced soldiers for these roles: captains and above for officers, and E-3s through E-9s for enlisted. The initial application period for the 40D role closed on April 30, 2026, with a need for about 1,000 soldiers, potentially reaching 1,500 by 2032. Training begins in October 2026. Brig. Gen. Don Brooks, deputy commanding general of U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command, called it a rallying point for Army space personnel, noting that space officers have worked for 27 years toward this normalization.
Military TimesArmy launches new branch for military space operations
The U.S. Army announced the creation of the Space Operations Branch, a dedicated career field for soldiers specializing in military space operations, formalizing space as a permanent warfighting specialty. The branch, announced on June 26, 2026, stems from the 2024 Army Space Vision and aims to protect U.S. assets and prevent adversaries from targeting joint forces from space. Brig. Gen. Don Brooks called it a 'rallying point' for Army space personnel. Two new military occupational specialties were created: Army Space Operations Officers (Functional Area 40) and Tactical Space Operations Specialists (40D), along with the MOS 40C for Army Astronauts detailed to NASA. The Army seeks experienced soldiers as captains and above for officer roles and grades E-3 through E-9 for enlisted roles. The initial application period for the 40D role closed on April 30, 2026, with training beginning in October. The Army projects a need for 1,000 soldiers for the role, possibly growing to 1,500 by 2032.
Army TimesUS Army Launches New Space Operations Branch for Military Space Personnel
The US Army announced on June 26, 2026, the creation of the Space Operations Branch, a dedicated career field for soldiers specializing in military space operations. The branch formalizes space as a permanent warfighting specialty, focusing on protecting US assets and preventing adversaries from targeting joint forces from space. Stemming from the 2024 Army Space Vision, the service created two new military occupational specialties: Army Space Operations Officers (Functional Area 40) for captains and above, and Tactical Space Operations Specialists (40D) for enlisted grades E-3 through E-9. A separate MOS, 40C (Army Astronauts), details soldiers to NASA. The Army seeks approximately 1,000 soldiers for the role, potentially expanding to 1,500 by 2032, with training beginning in October 2026. Brig. Gen. Don Brooks hailed the designation as a rallying point for Army space personnel after 27 years of efforts to normalize space operations.
Military TimesU.S. Army Launches Dedicated Space Operations Branch for Military Space Operations
The U.S. Army announced on June 26, 2026, the creation of the Space Operations Branch, formalizing space as a permanent warfighting specialty. The branch establishes dedicated career fields for soldiers specializing in military space operations, focused on protecting U.S. assets and preventing adversaries from targeting joint forces from space. Stemming from the 2024 Army Space Vision, the service created two new military occupational specialties: Army Space Operations Officers (Functional Area 40) and Tactical Space Operations Specialists (40D), plus an astronaut role (40C) for soldiers detailed to NASA. The Army seeks experienced personnel, with captains and above for officers and E-3 through E-9 for enlisted roles. Initial applications for the 40D role closed April 30, 2026, with training starting October 2026. The Army anticipates needing approximately 1,000 soldiers initially, potentially rising to 1,500 by 2032. Brig. Gen. Don Brooks called the announcement a 'rallying point' for Army space personnel, ending a 27-year effort to normalize Army space operations.
Military TimesArmy Launches New Branch for Military Space Operations
The U.S. Army announced on June 26, 2026, the establishment of the Space Operations Branch, a dedicated career field for soldiers specializing in military space operations. This formalizes space as a permanent warfighting specialty, focusing on protecting U.S. assets and preventing adversaries from targeting joint forces from space. The branch stems from the 2024 Army Space Vision and creates two new military occupational specialties: Army Space Operations Officers (FA40) and Tactical Space Operations Specialists (40D). The Army also created MOS 40C for Army Astronauts, with 19 soldiers detailed to NASA. Brig. Gen. Don Brooks called the announcement a 'rallying point' after 27 years of effort to normalize Army space operations. The service aims to recruit around 1,000 soldiers initially, potentially growing to 1,500 by 2032, with training beginning in October 2026.
Army TimesU.S. Army establishes Space Operations Branch as permanent warfighting specialty
The U.S. Army announced the creation of the Space Operations Branch, a dedicated career field for soldiers specializing in military space operations. The branch formalizes space as a permanent warfighting specialty, focusing on protecting U.S. assets and countering adversaries from space. Brig. Gen. Don Brooks called it a 'rallying point' after 27 years of efforts to normalize Army space operations. Stemming from the 2024 Army Space Vision, the service created two new MOS designations: Army Space Operations Officer (FA40) and Tactical Space Operations Specialist (40D), plus a third for Army astronauts (40C) detailed to NASA. The Army aims for about 1,000 soldiers in the new role, potentially rising to 1,500 by 2032, with training beginning in October 2026.
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