Lt. Gen. Sean Gainey (U.S. Army photo by Carrie Campbell)
ANALYSIS
By Troy Turner
HUNTSVILLE – The commanding general of the U.S. Army’s Space and Missile Defense Command is advocating for the creation of a new, space-specific MOS; or mission occupation specialty, which in civilian terms is akin to a job description.
The idea comes following an unrelated change the Air Force is going through in the re-establishment of its warrant officer rank, which is intended as a new pathway for enlisted personnel to grow in military leadership skills with the rank, while given room to specialize their technical skills. In this case, with an emphasis on improving the service’s cyber warfare capabilities.
The Army’s look at enhancing opportunities in space-expertise roles, and the new Air Force cyber-centered warrant officer mission, are signs of how today’s U.S. military seems willing to better evolve with its ranks in a fast-changing new era of warfare.
Both moves have some of their roots in Alabama.
Seeking 40 Delta
Army Lt. Gen. Sean Gainey in January 2024 took over as commander of Army SMD, which is based in Huntsville.
He shared news of his efforts to support creation of a new space-related MOS, tentatively referred to as 40 Delta, during a speech Tuesday at the 2024 Space and Missile Defense Symposium hosted in Huntsville.
Creating a new MOS specifically tied to Army space warfare is something needed to help recruit the kind of personnel and talent the Army needs for this field, and to expand the opportunities available, Gainey explained.
“It’s clear to me that our Army is missing a major piece of the puzzle when it comes to space operations: a dedicated military occupational specialty that allows NCOs as well as officers to specialize in space at the earliest stages of their career,” Gainey said. “The Army has a place in space, and we need to continue leading the charge by giving our soldiers every opportunity possible to become the experts we’ll turn to during the next conflict.”
The idea is being studied and considered by Army leadership, he said in a press briefing, and there is no official timetable on when a new MOS would take effect, if approved.
Almost all of the speakers attending the symposium in recent years have stressed the growing importance of integrated services, and space-based assets today are must-have for soldiers in the field.
The Army also has roles that can be tied to its space programs outside its normal military responsibilities, such as providing astronauts to fly with NASA.
SMDC stays on the move
“Our soldiers are the most heavily deployed across the army, and I would argue across the DOD,” Gainey said of the Space and Missile Defense Command. That, in large part over recent years, is because of the Patriot air defense system manned by the Army, including to help protect several American allies.
The Space and Missile Defense Symposium is one of the premier annual gatherings organized to discuss new developments and strategy in space and missile defense. The Army and city of Huntsville help host the event, which is attended by service members from other services, allies from around the globe, and by a large contingent of defense industry partners, many of which are headquartered or have a strong presence in the north Alabama region.
Gainey as the ranking officer of the SMD Command and Joint Functional Component Command for Integrated Missile Defense leads almost 3,000 military and civilian professionals. Their mission includes providing trained, equipped space and global ballistic missile defense forces; and space, missile defense and high-altitude capabilities.
The Air Force, meanwhile, is returning the warrant officer rank for the first time since discontinuing it in 1959. The Warrant Officer Training School in October will accept its first class at Air University, which has its home at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery.
Troy Turner is the editor and senior consultant for AlaDefense.com. He can be contacted at [email protected].
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