US Army Seeks Space Soldiers to Defend Against Adversaries

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The US Army has opened applications for a new military occupational specialty (MOS) called Tactical Space Operations Specialist. This new role will train soldiers to deny, disrupt, and degrade adversarial space-based operations and counter space domain threats during conflicts. The initial force is expected to be 1,000 soldiers, potentially growing to 1,500 by 2032.

Why it matters

As warfare becomes increasingly reliant on space-based technologies, the US Army is looking to establish a dedicated force to protect and defend American interests in the space domain. This new MOS represents the military's recognition of the critical importance of space superiority in modern conflicts.

The details

Soldiers in the Tactical Space Operations Specialist MOS will be expected to perform a range of activities to support troops during conflicts, including using electromagnetic means to deny, disrupt, and degrade adversarial space-based operations. Training will take place at the US Army Space and Missile Defense School in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and will prepare soldiers for high-altitude and missile-defense missions. Applicants should note that this new MOS is not a way to avoid overseas deployments, as soldiers will be embedded with warfighting units and potentially assigned to US Army commands in the Indo-Pacific, Middle East, Africa, and Europe, as well as locations in the US.

• Applications for the new MOS are open until April 30, 2026.
• Selectees will begin training on October 1, 2026.

What they’re saying

What’s next

The US Army will select the initial 1,000 soldiers for the Tactical Space Operations Specialist MOS, with training to begin on October 1, 2026.