U.S. Space Force and Army expand military space personnel

The U.S. Space Force is seeking several hundred interservice transfers of officers and enlisted members to support a planned expansion. The service aims to more than double its uniformed personnel from 11,000 to approximately 25,000 over the next five years, with much of the growth expected at Peterson and Schriever Space Force bases.

The Space Force is prioritizing applicants with experience in space operations, cyber, intelligence, acquisitions, and engineering. Applicants must be active-duty members of the Air Force, Army, Navy, or Marine Corps and must commit to four years of active duty. The service is specifically looking for personnel who may not require extensive retraining.

Simultaneously, the U.S. Army has moved more than 600 soldiers into a new enlisted specialty known as the 40D Tactical Space Operations Specialist. This move establishes a permanent enlisted workforce within the Army’s Space Operations Branch to handle tactical-level tasks such as jamming and denying adversary space capabilities, distinct from the Space Force.