The U.S. Army has expanded the scope of its Space and Missile Defense Command to include additional functions as the service branch's component unit to U.S. Space Command.
The Army said Friday that USASMDC will retain its duties as the service’s representative to U.S. Strategic Command to help drive coordination and synchronization between the two commands in line with the Joint Chiefs of Staff’s requirements.
Ryan McCarthy, secretary of the Army and a 2020 Wash100 Award recipient, said the military branch is “the largest user of space-enabled systems in the Department of Defense” and designating USASMDC as its component entity for both USSPACECOM and USSTRATCOM will strengthen command-ad control while streamlining space and missile defense activities.
USASMDC has headquarters at Redstone Arsenal, Ala., and Colorado Springs, Colo., and manages the training, equipment and deployment of Army personnel for global space and missile defense missions.
The command is comprised of over 2.8K soldiers across 23 locations and 11 time zones.
