Photo By Allen Meeks | The U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command has named its three 2025 Civilians of...... read more read more
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REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. - The U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command has named its three 2025 Civilians of the Year.
The selections are Jason B. Cutshaw in the supporting staff category; Kelby L. Santos in the professional/technical category; and Kelly J. Dimitri in the management category.
Cutshaw, a public affairs specialist, earned the award for his work amplifying SMDC’s mission to broad audiences, highlighting the command’s readiness and lethality. He expanded coverage of SMDC’s role in key events, such as the Space and Missile Defense Symposium, and coordinated with Air Force Global Strike command to broaden awareness of USASMDC’s Reagan Test Site’s strategic importance during ICBM tests. His compelling articles were consistently selected as lead stories for the Army’s main website, amplifying SMDC’s mission to a global audience.
"I truly have the greatest job at SMDC," Cutshaw said. "I get the honor of sharing our mission with the public. Writing articles from low-cost target testing to supporting warfighters who protect our nation, and even Army astronauts, is not too shabby. I have the opportunity to showcase how the Soldiers and civilians of this command work tirelessly around the clock to keep America safe."
In his personal time, Cutshaw serves as the lay leader at his church, representing the congregation at local and district conferences. He volunteers for Madison County Meals on Wheels, concentrating on Thanksgiving and Christmas, when the need is greatest.
"This is an honor," Cutshaw said. "It is a privilege to work alongside such an outstanding team at what we proudly call the Army’s Best Place to Work. Every day, I’m motivated by leaders and colleagues who dedicate themselves to supporting and defending warfighters across the globe.
And after more than 15 years at SMDC, I finally get to be in an article," he added.
Santos, the modeling and simulation lead for the Space & High-Altitude Directorate, was selected for her critical role in rebuilding and advancing the Army’s space technology portfolios. She established the foundation for the command’s Space Domain Awareness capabilities, which grew into the now-funded Surveillance and Cueing for Optimized and Unified Tracking program. Her technical leadership and ingenuity in leveraging funding mechanisms increased the SDA portfolio’s budget by over 225% for fiscal year 2025 while accelerating capability delivery by three years.
"As a technical program manager, I lead the development, maturation and transition of capabilities for space integration and space interdiction in support of Army and Joint Warfighter Multidomain Operations," Santos said."Our research and development efforts develop novel capabilities for closing identified capability games within the space domain. Our portfolio is essential to enhancing Warfighter capabilities and supporting the mission. Having the opportunity to develop technologies that directly impact Warfighter safety makes it so rewarding to come into work and advance these high-impact capabilities."
Outside of work, Santos serves as the Associate Director of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Greater Huntsville Section, acting as an ambassador to the greater aerospace community, and is a member of the AIAA Small Satellite and Space Systems Technical Committees. She serves as a judge for the annual NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge and the Robert L. Sackheim Engineering, Science, and Math Scholarship.
"SMDC is full of incredible scholars, all subject matter experts in their field," Santos said. "It is an incredible honor to be recognized for my contributions among such a distinguished workforce. I am grateful for the unique opportunity to work closely with our warfighters and remain close to the mission, while having countless opportunities to work on cutting edge research and development efforts."
Dimitri, chief of the civilian personnel division, was selected for her instrumental leadership in managing the command’s civilian workforce of more than 700 personnel. Senior officials looked to her for the proper execution and coordination of Human Resources related efforts to ensure the command not only met the suspense or task but also did not negatively impact either the employee or the command’s core mission. She also supervised a team of nine HR specialists and spearheaded hiring actions for critical positions supporting the 1st Space Brigade and the 100th Missile Defense Brigade.
"Flexibility was critical this year," Dimitri said. "As new guidance came forward, we had to assess, coordinate and implement changes quickly — all while ensuring our employees were supported and the mission remained on track. Whether it was the Deferred Resignation Program, the Army Hiring Freeze or Return-to-Work tracking, my focus has always been on executing requirements efficiently while minimizing disruption. I’m grateful to have had the trust of Lt. Gen. Gainey, Mr. [Richard] De Fatta and our senior leaders to guide those efforts."
Dimitri is also deeply involved in command morale, not only in day-to-day HR-related functions, but also serves in support of major yearly events, including children’s activities for SMDC holiday events, the Army Birthday celebration, Rocket City Trash Panda STEM support, Army-Navy football pep rally, and the G-1 section "morale tree."
“I’m incredibly honored and grateful to receive this award,” Dimitri said. “Leading a talented HR team and serving as a trusted advisor to senior leadership has been an honor.I’m grateful for the trust placed in me and proud of how our team ensured the command remained mission-ready while taking care of our employees."
| Date Taken: | 02.19.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 02.20.2026 15:19 |
| Story ID: | 558459 |
| Location: | REDSTONE ARSENAL, ALABAMA, US |
| Web Views: | 34 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
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