To meet rising space and missile threats, the Army is accepting applications for its newest MOS.

The 40D, space operations specialist, MOS will be established Oct. 1 for enlisted soldiers who are specialists through sergeants major in all three Army components. This new specialty will create a permanent career path in space operations and build an NCO corps to complement Functional Area 40A officers in the Army space operations branch, the Army said in a news release.

“This is the first space-specific MOS for enlisted soldiers, and it couldn’t have come at a better time,” Lt. Gen. Sean Gainey, commanding general of U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command, said last fall.

Previously, enlisted personnel were “borrowed” from other branches and returned after roughly three years. “The establishment of [the] 40D MOS will alleviate the burden on other Army branches who are lending their soldiers to space operations,” Gainey said. “This new space operations MOS is designed to build a robust and experienced noncommissioned officer corps in Army space and will ensure that Army space formations are equipped with soldiers who have experience in space operations.”

Applications are being accepted through April 30. To qualify, soldiers must apply to transfer to the new MOS and, if selected, complete formal training conducted by the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense School in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Notifications of selection board results are expected this summer, and initial selectees will transition to the 40D MOS and attend training beginning Oct. 1.

The Army is currently forecasting around 1,000 40D billets that could grow up to 1,500 billets by 2032.

The Army relies on space capabilities and systems to provide global positioning, satellite communications, weather and related environmental conditions and intelligence collection platforms, the service said. These critical enablers help the Army plan, communicate, navigate, maneuver, engage the enemy, provide missile warning, maintain situational understanding, protect and sustain forces.

Leaders plan to “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,” said Command Sgt. Maj. John Foley, senior enlisted leader for Space and Missile Defense Command. “We need them on the front edge of the fight within the space domain, which is 24/7, as the character of war continues to change and be able to dominate in the space environment to fight and win our future wars.”

Space soldiers operate from the ground to support the warfighter, Foley said. “That is the distinct difference that only soldiers can do for our Army,” he said.

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