The US Army is growing its space forces. They're already in combat.

The US Army is growing its space forces. They're already in combat. Soldiers with the Army's 1st Space Brigade unload equipment from a helicopter during training on Fort Carson, Colo. on Jan. 31, 2025. Brooke Nevins/US Army The US Army is expanding its ranks of soldiers trained for space warfare, a growing military specialty that is already supporting American combat operations in the Middle East.The service established a new enlisted space operations branch in June, creating a dedicated career field for soldiers whose work involves satellites, communications, and the ability to disrupt an adversary's use of space.While the Space Force and its Guardians oversee a broad range of military space operations in support of the entire US military, the Army has its own dedicated specialists focused on supporting its ground forces with satellite communications, navigation, and other capabilities.Some space soldiers are already deployed in the Middle East, where American forces have been fighting Iran.Lt. Gen. John Rafferty, the commander of US Army Space and Missile Defense Command, said at the Association of the United States Army conference in Washington, DC, this week that roughly 2,500 soldiers from his command are deployed to US Central Command's area of operations. That figure includes both air-defense formations and space specialists."Space is really embedded in every single echelon there," Rafferty said, speaking of the job's growing prevalence throughout all levels of military decision-making.Those space soldiers' responsibilities can range from helping ground forces access satellite communications and navigation systems to disrupting adversary space capabilities, known as "space interdiction." Officials did not provide specific examples or further details on the work being done.For soldiers on the battlefield, such help is essential for communicating with nearby units and gathering intelligence on enemy movements.The growing importance of space as a domain of warfare, alongside land, sea, air, and cyberspace, prompted the Army to expand its specialized workforce. Command Sgt. Maj. Rickey Jackson said at AUSA that the service reviewed several thousand personnel files for its new enlisted space operations branch. The 600 soldiers ultimately selected for the new job came mostly from intelligence, communications, and air-defense specialties, though the career field is open to troops from other backgrounds.The service plans to continue growing its formalized space community, with around 1,700 space soldiers by the end of next fiscal year."When we talk about the branch and the targets, having a couple thousand dedicated folks within the branch between the enlisted and the officer side is a significant contribution across the service," Col. Joseph Mroszczyk, who oversees the integration of emerging space capabilities into Army operations, said during the event. Read next Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Kelsey Baker is a military affairs reporter with Business Insider. She joined in 2025 and covers military personnel issues and how the military is overhauling how it prepares for future conflicts.Prior to joining BI, she worked at The Washington Post as a Military Veterans in Journalism Fellow covering human interest stories and international news and at The Chronicle of the Horse magazine covering horse sports. She holds a graduate degree in Journalism from Northwestern University, a degree in Diplomacy from Norwich University, and an undergraduate degree in History from the University of Denver. She previously served in the Marine Corps as a logistics officer, and later in the reserve.Contact her via email at kbaker@businessinsider.com, or via Signal at KelseyBaker75.75. Use a personal email address, a nonwork WiFi network, and a nonwork device; here's our guide to sharing information securely. Chris Panella is a defense reporter for Business Insider. He covers technological transformations in the US military with focuses on US military modernization, US Army transformation, and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and drones. Globally, Panella reports on China's military and Taiwan. Panella has embedded with the Army in Alaska, interviewed special operators learning to fly drones, and flown with US Coast Guard helicopters practicing drug interdictions. If you have a tip related to these areas or broader defense coverage, Panella can be reached at cpanella@businessinsider.com or on Signal at cpanella.85. Space