U.S. Army expands dedicated space operations force, deploying thousands to Middle East

The U.S. Army formalized a new enlisted space operations branch in June, drawing roughly 600 soldiers mainly from intelligence, communications and air-defense specialties. Lt. Gen. John Rafferty, commander of the Army Space and Missile Defense Command, reported that about 2,500 of his command’s personnel, encompassing both air-defense formations and space specialists, are deployed to the U.S. Central Command’s area of operations in the Middle East.

Their duties range from enabling satellite communications and navigation for ground units to conducting “space interdiction” against adversary capabilities. Command Sgt. Maj. Rickey Jackson noted the selection process reviewed several thousand files before finalizing the initial cohort. Colonel Joseph Mroszczyk said the Army aims to have roughly 1,700 space soldiers by the end of the next fiscal year, adding a significant dedicated workforce to support Army operations across all echelons.