In a pivotal shift for multidomain warfare, the U.S. Army is recruiting enlisted soldiers for its first dedicated space operations military occupational specialty, MOS 40D. Applications opened in late 2025 for E-4 through E-9 ranks across active duty, National Guard, and Reserve components, with the MOS set to activate October 1, 2026. This move addresses escalating threats from adversary satellites and missile systems, creating roughly 900 to 1,000 billets initially, potentially expanding to 1,500 by 2032. Lt. Gen. Sean A. Gainey, commander of U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command, emphasized during a Pentagon briefing, “These soldiers will become the experts we turn to during the next conflict.”

From Borrowed Talent to Permanent Expertise

Historically, Army space operations relied on officers in FA40A roles and temporary ‘loaned’ enlisted personnel from air defense, signal, and intelligence fields for three-year stints. The 40D MOS establishes a stable career track, allowing noncommissioned officers to build lifelong expertise. “This is the first space-specific MOS for enlisted Soldiers, and it couldn’t have come at a better time,” Gainey said at the Space and Missile Defense Symposium in Huntsville, Alabama, in August 2025, as reported by the U.S. Army. Previously borrowed soldiers will return to original units, with their slots converted to 40D positions in a budget-neutral ‘zero-growth’ initiative.

Command Sgt. Maj. John Foley, USASMDC senior enlisted leader, highlighted the need for ground-focused space warriors: “[We will] look across the entire Army for Soldiers who wish to take that leap to the 40D MOS that will propel them to new heights, skills and knowledge.” The program, detailed in MILPER Message 26-028 from Human Resources Command, forecasts assignments in CONUS, OCONUS, INDOPACOM, CENTCOM, AFRICOM, and EUCOM.

Application Rush and Selection Hurdles

Soldiers must hold grades E-4 to E-9, possess at least two years in another MOS, and secure a Top Secret clearance. The initial application window runs through April 30, 2026, with board results expected summer 2026. Interest is fierce, as Gainey noted in a May 2025 media roundtable covered by The United States Army: “I want to encourage everybody who’s interested in the space 40D MOS to compete for it, but it’s going to be very competitive.” A dedicated SharePoint site and email (40d@army.mil) provide guidance, per Soldier Systems Daily.

Reclassification targets experienced troops to fast-track operational readiness. Once selected, soldiers transition via initial qualification training before advanced courses. This pipeline, announced by Army Deputy Chief of Staff in December 2024, formalizes a 25-year evolution toward enlisted space dominance, as outlined in FM 3-14.

Training Pipeline in Colorado Springs

Selected 40D specialists head to the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense School at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado Springs for formal training. Curriculum covers space operations, high-altitude systems, missile defense, electronic warfare, and ground-based tools like the Tactical Integrated Ground Suite (TIGS), which enables long-range disruption of enemy space assets. Gainey described the focus during an AUSA event: “We are focused on the tactical maneuver fight with our forces on the ground, pushing that capability forward so our forces have that capability at echelon.” DefenseScoop reported this hands-on emphasis prepares troops for multidomain task forces (MDTFs), theater strike effects groups (TSEGs), 1st Space Brigade, and 100th Missile Defense Brigade.

Training builds tactical experts for platoon sergeant, master gunner, and senior advisor roles, integrating space effects into land maneuvers. Foley added, “Army space Soldiers must be on the ground to provide effects to the warfighter and operate in deep enemy and extended deep areas—a distinct difference that only Soldiers can do.”

Countering Orbital Threats on the Ground

40D specialists deny, disrupt, and degrade adversary space operations via electromagnetic spectrum tactics, protecting joint forces from space-enabled attacks. They leverage GPS, SATCOM, weather data, and ISR for planning, navigation, and missile warning—critical in competition, crisis, and conflict. “Our Army space professionals support unique assets to interdict or disrupt adversaries’ use of space capabilities, ensuring Army forces gain and maintain the initiative,” Gainey told Breaking Defense.

Unlike Space Force’s orbital focus, Army 40Ds embed with maneuver units for close support, operating TIGS and similar systems deep in contested zones. This complements USSPACECOM, where SMDC provides trained personnel alongside Space Forces-Space and Marines. Task & Purpose updated in May 2025 that 900 specialists will integrate into SMDC to counter satellite threats to ground troops: Task & Purpose.

Strategic Fit in Multidomain Era

The MOS aligns with Army Space Vision Supporting Multidomain Operations, fielding space control companies under TSEGs for interdiction. Gainey, at AUSA 2024, stressed electronic warfare expansion: “TIGS features a larger aperture that allows us to do electronic warfare space capabilities at distance.” SpaceNews noted it shifts expertise from officers to NCOs, enhancing retention.

Amid rising hypersonic and counterspace threats from peers, 40Ds bolster homeland defense and global ops. Stars and Stripes reported in May 2025: the specialty boosts stability for loaned troops while expanding EW for undetected maneuvers: Stars and Stripes. Assignments span combatant commands, ensuring space dominance flows to the tactical edge.

High Stakes and Early Momentum

By December 2025, recruitment buzz filled forums like Reddit’s r/army, with users debating competitiveness. AUSA highlighted Gainey’s call: “Missile defense, air and missile defense, [counter-unmanned aircraft systems] capabilities are critical.” AUSA. As applications close April 2026, the Army eyes a robust NCO corps ready for 24/7 space battles, fundamentally reshaping ground forces’ orbital edge.