US Army expands Space Operations Branch after transferring 600 enlisted soldiers
The Army moved 600 enlisted soldiers into its Space Operations Branch on 1 October and expects thousands more to follow.
The US Army transferred 600 enlisted soldiers into its new Space Operations Branch on 1 October. The service established the branch in June to consolidate space-related career paths and train soldiers to operate and deploy space systems.
The 600 were reclassified as 40D Tactical Space Operations Specialists, joining 40A Space Operations Officers. They had previously been temporarily reassigned to space-related units from the Air Defense Artillery, Signal and Military Intelligence fields.
Speaking to reporters on 14 October at the Association of the US Army Annual Meeting in Washington, Col. Joseph Mroszczyk said the Army's space operations cadre has almost doubled since 2012. Mroszczyk directs the Army's Transformation Integration Directorate for Space Superiority and High Altitude. He expects that growth to continue within the branch.
Army officials predicted the branch will eventually include thousands of officers and troops.
Sourceairandspaceforces.com