Army Space Operations Officers (FA 40)

The Army is the largest Department of Defense user of satellite capabilities. Satellites enable the Army to maneuver and attack with great precision (GPS), communicate across the globe (satellite communication), collect information (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaisance, weather), and see the battlefield (force tracking, command and control). All warfighting functions (missions) and echelons utilize space capabilities. Space provides an operational advantage and protection. Adversaries are always seeking to take away our advantage through denial, disruption and degradation.

A functional area is a grouping of officers by technical specialty or skills other than a branch that requires unique education, training and experience. After functional designation, active officers serve repetitive and progressive assignments within their functional area. Reserve officers are awarded a functional area based upon the needs of the Army, the officer’s geographic location, individual experience, education and training. Space operations (FA40) is one of 12 ArmyfFunctional areas.

An FA40 officer utilizes and integrates space capabilities with terrestrial-, air-, sea- and high altitude-based systems owned and operated by the Department of Defense, the intelligence community, civil agencies and commercial partners to provide integrated and timely capabilities to the warfighter. Army space operations, duties and responsibilities are centered on seven codified joint space capabilities: space situational awareness; space control; positioning, navigation and timing; space-based intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; satellite communications; environmental monitoring; or missile warning. The sheer variety of the more than 353 FA40 billets across the Army means they could perform these basic functions in a vast array of different circumstances and levels, from tactical planning with Army brigades and divisions to operational and strategic roles with higher headquarters.

FA 40s are assigned to a wide variety of tactical, operational, strategic, joint, and federal agency positions. There are also opportunities in capability development and Technical Center roles and administrative roles with the Army Astronaut Detachment. FA 40s serve in such diverse capacities as special forces groups to Office of the Secretary of Defense. We are seeing emerging growth to support United States Space Command (USSPACECOM) and multi-domain operations. FA 40s have opportunities for advanced civil schooling with four different graduate degrees and one docorate program. There are also opportunities to do training with industry assignments with such organizations as Lockheed Martin, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab, a.i.solutions, SpaceX and Analytical Graphics Incorporated, to name a few.

While promotion is highly individualized and a result of each officers performance and potential, FA40’s have generally done as well or better than their basic branch counterparts.

There are three basic pathways to become an FA40: Assured Functional Area Transfer (AFAT), Voluntary Career Transfer Incentive Program (VTIP) and direct commissioning.

Assured Functional Area Transfer (AFAT)
New Army talent management initiative

• A “branch detailing” program for Functional Area 40
• Commissioned into an operational basic branch
• Selected cadets w/science, technical, engineering and mathematics degrees will be assured a transfer into FA 40 space operations at the four-year point of their career
  • Must remain in good military standing
  • No need for company command
  • No Voluntary Transfer Incentive Program
  • If selected, signed contract
  • Begin process for top secret/sensitive compartmented information clearance

Traditional Army Transfer Method (VTIP)

• Primary officer method to transfer into a functional area
• Must meet the requirements in the VTIP military personnel message
• Eligible after fourth year of service
• Two VTIP opportunities annually
• Army means to balance officer year group strength while matching officer desires, qualifications and abilities
• Reference: Army Regulation (AR) 614–100 Assignments, Details, and Transfers Officer Assignment Policies, Details, and Transfers

Direct Commissioning
New Army talent management initiative

This new initiative allows the Army to acquire “war winning talent.” This program allows civilians with specific, highly specialized, space-related skills and education to be directly appointed as a commissioned officer in the Army as a space operations officer. Interested candidates apply directly to the Army Space Personnel Development Office. Candidates are vetted by an assessment board based on their education and experience. They can be commissioned at any rank from captain to colonel based on the board results. Depending on their adjudicated commissioning rank, they will proceed through a training pipeline to their first FA 40 assignments. For more information, visit: https:/talent.army.mil/job/space-officer