Photo By Dottie White | Army space professionals celebrate National Space Day on May 2 to recognize how they...... read more read more
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REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. – For Army space operations officers, National Space Day on May 2 recognizes how they live and work every day.
Functional Area 40, or FA40, space operations officers’ perform functions from tactical planning with Army brigades and divisions, to operational and strategic roles with corps, numbered armies and combatant commands.
Col. Timothy Dalton, U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Center of Excellence deputy director, served as an Air Defense Artillery officer before becoming an FA40 in 2005.
He said he became interested in space because there is so much that is still unknown about space exploration and because space presents a tremendous opportunity to drive scientific and technological advancements while exploring a region that is largely unknown.
“I am really proud of the work being done at the Space and Missile Defense Center of Excellence,” Dalton said. “The team’s dedication to advancing critical capabilities in space, high altitude, and missile defense is instrumental in staying ahead of our adversaries and ensuring the effectiveness of our warfighters. It’s a mission with significant impact across the Army, and the commitment of the team to get after these growing mission areas truly stands out.”
As an FA40, Dalton has served with the 1st Space Battalion, 1st Space Brigade, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, U.S. Strategic Command, U.S. Army Pacific, USASMDC HQ and the SMDCoE.
“Over my 20 years as an Army space operations officer, it has been great to see the significant evolution of space capabilities across the Army,” Dalton said. “Early in my career we were focused on integrating space capabilities from the joint force. Now we can integrate capabilities from the joint force and provide Army space interdiction capability directly to maneuver commanders that will make a difference in their ability win on the battlefield.”
More than 600 FA40 space officers are integrated into operations and planning positions at all Army organizational levels, not just at USASMDC.
Lt. Col. Ryan Enix, USASMDC secretary of the general staff, was a military police officer before becoming an FA40 in 2014. As a space operations officer, he has served at the 1st Space Brigade, USASMDC headquarters and the 1st Multi Domain Task Force.
“Space represents the ultimate high ground and a domain that impacts nearly every aspect of our daily lives, from navigation to communications to national security,” Enix said. “What fascinates me most is how space connects people across the globe while also presenting new challenges and opportunities for innovation. It’s a constantly evolving environment where technology, exploration, and defense converge in ways that directly shape our future.”
Enix said what excites him most about being an FA40 is the opportunity to operate in a dynamic and strategic environment where the Army can integrate space capabilities to enable the joint force to deter adversaries, and if necessary, fight and win. He added that the Army and joint force are reliant on the space domain to maintain an operational advantage and being at the forefront of that effort is immensely rewarding.
“In the last 10 years, I’ve witnessed the exponential growth of demand for Army space capabilities,” Enix said. “We must continue to invest in Army space – the missions, the equipment, and the people. I look forward to when the Army has an enlisted military occupational specialty of dedicated space operators focused on those missions that will enable the future success of the Army and the joint force.”
The FA40 community comprises officers from various Army branches, bringing their wide range of experience to make it a diverse and inclusive functional area. Although a technical degree is not a requirement, many FA40 assignments are technical in nature. More than 70 percent of FA40s have advanced degrees and work on senior-level Army, joint and interagency staffs.
With the Army being the largest Department of Defense user of space and satellite capabilities, its space operations officers utilize and integrate space capabilities with terrestrial-, air-, sea- and high-altitude-based systems owned and operated by DOD, the intelligence community, civil agencies and commercial partners to provide integrated and timely capabilities to the warfighter.
Lt. Col. Ryan T. Stephenson, 1st Space Battalion commander, a former combat engineer, applied to become an FA40 in 2010 during a tour in Afghanistan. During his deployment, he said he was exposed to Army space operations and saw firsthand the impact Army space was having on the battlefield.
“I have always been interested in technology that solves problems and makes our lives better,” Stephenson said. “Our use of military space technology has unlocked incredible advancements in Army operations, making us more lethal on the battlefield and giving our Soldiers a marked advantage against our adversaries.”
Stephenson has served in 1st Space Battalion, USASMDC, the Pentagon, and under the Army Capability Manager for Space and High Altitude during his time as an FA40. He deployed as an FA40 to numerous overseas exercises and operations to integrate Army space capabilities.
He said as commander for the battalion, he ensures the space control companies, missile defense service battery, and Space Control Planning Center are at the highest state of readiness so they can answer the Army and nation’s call.
“The 1st Space Battalion is constantly deploying forces at global scale to deter our adversaries, defeat threats, and protect Army forces,” Stephenson said. “We do this while simultaneously defending the American homeland from missile threats and providing critical planning and targeting support to Army forces worldwide. This means our daily focus is on training Soldiers and leaders to conduct operations under the hardest conditions, so they are ready to deploy, fight and win.”
As an FA40, Stephenson said he is excited to be part of the legacy of Army space.
“When you look at the nation’s history of space exploration and technology development, the Army has been there from the beginning and in many cases has been the driving force for our most important milestones in space,” Stephenson said. “This is especially important as the Army has shifted to multidomain operations.”
Stephenson said America’s adversaries watched how the Army employed space capabilities in the Gulf War and copied the approach.
“The Army had the foresight to organize forces that would be able to interdict adversary land forces use of space,” Stephenson said. “We are the torch bearers for that legacy, and I am proud to be a part of it. Being an FA40 is the greatest privilege I’ve had in my career.”
Stephenson began his Army career as a combat engineer before transitioning to space operations. He said this path gave him tremendous insight into how space capabilities make the Army more effective and lethal.
“The ‘secret sauce’ of every FA40 is that we start out doing a traditional Army job and then learn how to apply space technology in land warfare,” Stephenson said.
“We have such an important role in making the Army a multidomain capable force, and the demand for Army space capabilities has increased tenfold,” Stephenson added. “We simply can’t keep up with everything the divisions, corps and theater armies have asked for. It’s a good problem to have, and it makes me incredibly proud and optimistic for our FA40s and space Soldiers across the Army.”
National Space Day began in 1997 as a day to promote space and the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, among the youth. On the first Friday in May each year people observe National Space Day. Due to its popularity, it was later expanded to International Space Day in 2001 by former astronaut and senator John Glenn.
| Date Taken: | 04.30.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 05.01.2025 15:51 |
| Story ID: | 496570 |
| Location: | REDSTONE ARSENAL, ALABAMA, US |
| Web Views: | 10 |
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