US Army 'Space Week' to Shine Light on Why Soldiers Care About Satellites

Space.com ^ | November 27, 2017 06:01pm ET | Sandra Erwin, Space News |

[BenLurkin]

Army leaders decided this was a good time to highlight space because activities are growing and the Army wants to attract more officers to the space career field known as Functional Area 40, or FA40. Over the past year, Army space forces supported more than 16 exercises for every geographic combatant command except U.S. Africa Command.

Soldiers are picked for the FA40 career field after a competitive selection process through the "voluntary transfer incentive program," which can occur at the four-year mark of a soldier's career. Besides their technical abilities, soldiers applying for the FA40 are evaluated based on their values and leadership track records. Once designated, FA40 officers attend a space operations officer qualification course.

The timing of space week happens to coincide with the passage of the Fiscal Year 2018 National Defense Authorization Act, which realigns military space responsibilities. Much of this language came from the House version of the bill that sharply criticized the Air Force for not advancing space innovation in the military at a time when adversaries are moving to challenge U.S. dominance of space.

The NDAA directs the Pentagon to accelerate the modernization of space systems and calls for an independent study on whether a distinct "space corps" should be created within the Department of the Air Force. The congressional debate has energized critics who blame the Air Force for under-funding space programs and for lethargic modernization.

Army leaders have not publicly weighed in on the more controversial reforms pushed forth by the NDAA, including the elimination of offices within the Air Force that deal with space and the transfer of responsibilities from the secretary to the Air Force Space Command.

[T-Bird45]

Interesting that the USAF even let the Army sniff anything to do with space and let them establish an officer secondary specialty, too. For me, the next question is whatever happened to requiring an officer to be branch-qualified before getting a secondary specialty. The absolute earliest an officer can complete branch-qualification is the 5-year mark but they can apply for this specialty at year 4.

[buckalfa]

I know satellites are integral to success on today’s battlefield. Communication, GPS, imagery and all of that. Yet do we maintain the skills to wage war the old fashioned way if the satellites were taken out.