For Sgt. 1st Class Elijah Astor, 18 years spent in the Army turning wrenches as a 91X, maintenance supervisor, had become repetitive.
“Once you’ve seen one motorpool, you’ve seen them all,” Astor told Reserve + National Guard Magazine.
He wanted a challenge, so he joined the more than 1,000 soldiers who see a future in serving their country through space operations in the Army.
“When I was presented with the idea of Army space coming online, it actually sparked my interest in it to gain knowledge for a better future while I’m in the Army, as well as opportunities outside the Army, as I get close to my retirement age,” Astor said.
The Army will establish the MOS 40D Tactical Space Operations Specialist for enlisted soldiers from the rank of E-4 to E-9. The new MOS is open to Army active duty, National Guard and reserve component soldiers.
The application period opened Jan. 1 and will close April 30, 2026. Soldiers must apply to transfer to the new MOS and, if selected, complete formal training at the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense School in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Chosen applicants will be notified in the summer, and initial selectees will transition to the 40D MOS and attend training beginning Oct. 1. Applicants must be able to obtain a Top-Secret clearance.
“This is a historic opportunity,” said Col. Felix G. Torres, commandant of the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command Center of Excellence.
Through the establishment of this new specialty, Torres said USASMDC intends to create a permanent career path in space operations.
“They get trained and educated in space, and they stay space,” Torres said.
Previously, the Army’s 14 series air defenders, 25 series signal core professionals, and 35 series military intelligence professionals completed tasks related to space, mostly due to their ability to obtain high-security clearances. These soldiers would get trained, be sent to their unit, and deploy, all while doing a job outside of their MOS.
“We’ve had space professionals, from the officer side at least, since 1999; so we’ve had Army space professionals doing this job for over 26 years,” Torres said. “We could never continue to build that space professionalism in our cohort.”
To apply, soldiers must opt into the 40D selection board on the 40D Space Operations Specialist SharePoint page, which is accessible using a CAC-enabled login. Once they opt in, they must submit their NCOERs, a memorandum of record/recommendation letter as well as any applicable certifications they’ve earned.
The letter should come from the soldier’s direct supervisor, a new requirement in the application process that previously required a letter from the soldier’s sergeant major.
“They’re [sergeants first class and commanders] the ones that work hand in hand with them; they know when that E-4 stands out; they can tell when that E-4 is showing value,” Torres said.
Most, if not all, 40Ds will interact at the division or above level and support combat and command operations filling high-level requirements, Torres said.
“We need enlisted members who can articulate the importance of space-based capabilities to a maneuver commander in terms that make sense,” he said. “They need to be able to translate geek to grunt.”
Torres said soldiers in 40D may have a higher – although minuscule – percentage chance of earning promotion to E-9 and E-8 as a 40D than they would in most other specialties.
The space operations specialty will first and foremost be Army, Torres said, and will be held to the Army standards for promotion.
“We expect them to know and understand the Army warfighting functions, and how to augment them with space,” Torres said. “Army space professionals come from each warfighting function, and as such, transfer over to space with the warfighting mentality built in.”
He added that the USASMDC expects the Army space professionals to be part of the team and integrated across planning horizons.
Space soldiers will be stationed at the schoolhouse at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, but will also be globally distributed and deployed, Torres said. “This is a career field,” he said. “You’re going to grow and build, and the things that you’re going to grow and build upon are going to set you up in the future.”
