Space and Missile Defense Command
Shoulder Sleeve Insignia
Active1 October 1997 – present
Country United States
Branch United States Army
Part ofUnited States Space Command
United States Strategic Command
HeadquartersRedstone Arsenal, Alabama, U.S.
Websitewww.smdc.army.mil
Commanders
Commanding GeneralLTG Sean A. Gainey
Deputy Commanding General for OperationsCOL John L. Dawber
Command Sergeant MajorCSM John W. Foley
Insignia
Distinctive Unit Insignia

The United States Army Space and Missile Defense Command (USASMDC) is an Army Service Component Command (ASCC) of the United States Army. The command was established in 1997. The current USASMDC commander is Lieutenant General Sean Gainey[1] with Senior Enlisted Advisor Command Sergeant Major John W. Foley.

The Army Space Command (ARSPACE) stood up in April 1988 as a field operating agency of the Deputy Chief of Staff (of the Army) for Operations and Plans.[2] As the Army component of U.S. Space Command, ARSPACE was to provide the Army perspective in planning for Department of Defense space support and ensure the integration of Army requirements into joint planning for space support and "conduct planning for DoD space operations in support of Army strategic, operational and tactical missions."

A relatively small organization, it was soon put to the test. The new command was instrumental in bringing space assets to U.S. Army forces during Operation Desert Storm. Following the war, new operational missions, such as the Army Space Support Teams and the Joint Tactical Ground Stations, became key elements of the Army space program.

Organizationally however, ARSPACE remained a command, a Tables of Distribution and Allowances, or TDA, organization with offices and directorates according to mission, rather than an Army operational Table of Organization and Equipment unit. This changed on 1 May 1995. On that date, ARSPACE's Military Satellite Communications Directorate or MILSATCOM Directorate became the 1st Satellite Control, or SATCON, Battalion—the first Army battalion with an operational mission tied to space systems and capabilities.

Structure

The SMDC is made up of several components, Active Army and full-time Army National Guard, due to the 24-hour a day, 7-day a week, 365-day a year nature of SMDC's mission:[3]

The 117th Space Battalion has a training, readiness, and oversight (TRO) relationship with the 1st Space Brigade but is not actually part of it, as of 2018–19.

Space and Missile Defense Acquisition Center (SMDAC)

    • other directorates

History

Design work for the Safeguard System anti-ballistic missile complex began in 1968. The initial ground breaking occurred in 1970. The test period began in September 1973 and concluded with the equipment readiness date. Four and half years after the initial contracts were signed, the completed facility was turned over to the government. On 27 September 1974, at the Missile Site Radar Complex near Nekoma, North Dakota, and at the Ballistic Missile Defense Center at NORAD, Cheyenne Mountain, the Safeguard facilities were officially transferred to the U.S. Army Ballistic Missile Defense Systems Command after a four and a half year construction project by ten companies.[11]

Previously the Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensors Project Office (JLENS) based in Huntsville, Alabama[12] was part of SMDC's Space and Missile Defence Acquisition Center. However, after continuing problems with the programme, the fiscal 2017 budget for the JLENS program was cut from the requested $45 million to $2.5 million. According to Defense News, the "nearly unanimous lack of funding for the program spells death for JLENS". The blimps are being kept in storage and the small budget being used to close out the program, according to Defense News.[13]

Other parts of the previous Space and Missile Defense Acquisition Center included:

The United States Army Futures Command, formed 24 August 2018, gives priority to modernization of air and missile defense.[14]:minute 6:07[15][16][17] Cross-functional teams[18][19] were instituted to oversee the modernization effort[20][21] in the areas of hypersonic systems,[22][23][24] maneuver SHORAD (M-SHORAD)[25] and Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System (IBCS).[26]

List of commanding generals

No. Commanding General[27] Term
Portrait Name Took office Left office Term length
Commanding General, U.S. Army Strategic Defense Command
1
John F. Wall
Wall, John F.Lieutenant General
John F. Wall
(born 1931)
1 July 198524 May 19882 years, 328 days
-
Robert L. Stewart
Stewart, Robert L.Brigadier General
Robert L. Stewart
(born 1942)
Acting
24 May 198811 July 198848 days
2
Robert D. Hammond
Hammond, Robert D.Lieutenant General
Robert D. Hammond
(1933–2014)
11 July 198830 June 19923 years, 355 days
-
William J. Schumacher
Schumacher, William J.Brigadier General
William J. Schumacher
(1938–2021)
Acting
30 June 199231 July 199231 days
Commanding General, U.S. Army Space and Strategic Defense Command
3
Donald M. Lionetti
Lionetti, Donald M.Lieutenant General
Donald M. Lionetti
(1940–2019)
24 August 19926 September 19942 years, 13 days
4
Jay M. Garner
Garner, Jay M.Lieutenant General
Jay M. Garner
(born 1938)
6 September 19947 October 19962 years, 31 days
5
Edward G. Anderson III
Anderson, Edward G. IIILieutenant General
Edward G. Anderson III
7 October 19961 October 1997359 days
Commanding General, U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command
5
Edward G. Anderson III
Anderson, Edward G. IIILieutenant General
Edward G. Anderson III
1 October 19976 August 1998309 days
-
Steven W. Flohr
Flohr, Steven W.Colonel
Steven W. Flohr
Acting
6 August 19981 October 199856 days
6
John P. Costello
Costello, John P.Lieutenant General
John P. Costello
(1947–2010)
1 October 199828 March 20012 years, 178 days
-
John M. Urias
Urias, John M.Brigadier General
John M. Urias
Acting
28 March 200130 April 200133 days
7
Joseph M. Cosumano Jr.
Cosumano, Joseph M. Jr.Lieutenant General
Joseph M. Cosumano Jr.
(born 1946)
30 April 200116 December 20032 years, 230 days
8
Larry J. Dodgen
Dodgen, Larry J.Lieutenant General
Larry J. Dodgen
(1949–2010)
16 December 200318 December 20063 years, 2 days
9
Kevin T. Campbell
Campbell, Kevin T.Lieutenant General
Kevin T. Campbell
18 December 200615 December 20103 years, 362 days
10
Richard P. Formica
Formica, Richard P.Lieutenant General
Richard P. Formica
15 December 201012 August 20132 years, 240 days
11
David L. Mann
Mann, David L.Lieutenant General
David L. Mann
12 August 20135 January 2017[note 1][28]3 years, 146 days
12
James H. Dickinson
Dickinson, James H.Lieutenant General
James H. Dickinson
(born c.1963)
5 January 20175 December 20192 years, 334 days
13
Daniel L. Karbler
Karbler, Daniel K.Lieutenant General
Daniel L. Karbler
6 December 20199 January 20244 years, 34 days
14
Sean A. Gainey
Gainey, SeanLieutenant General
Sean A. Gainey
9 January 2024Incumbent6 days

Notes

  1. LTG David Mann's term was extended beyond August 2016 due to the death of his confirmed successor MG John G. Rossi.

See also

Comparable organizations

References

  1. 1 2 Jen Judson (Oct 2021) The future of the Army in space interview of LTG Daniel Karbler at AUSA: Next conflict will start in Space. Space command is 24/7. Theater-level strike effects group (TSEG) will be an Army org.
  2. "SMDC History: 20th anniversary of the creation of 1st SATCON Battalion". army.mil. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  3. 1 2 Dottie White (17 August 2018) SMDC senior leader discusses his career path, unique role of National Guard in Command's mission
  4. Dottie White (17 July 2018) 1st Space Brigade welcomes new commander
  5. Vergun, David (6 September 2016). "Meet your Army: Chief trains Soldiers to detect missiles". U. S. Army. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
  6. SMDC/ARSTRAT Public Affairs Office (22 October 2018) Early missile warning unit passes evaluation with 99 percent Joint Tactical Ground Station (JTaGS), Osan AB
  7. White, Dottie K (17 October 2017). "Army activates 2nd Space Battalion". US Army. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  8. SGT Benjamin Crane, 100th Missile Defense Brigade (GMD) Public Affairs (15 September 2011) Missile defense exercise spans globe
  9. Carlson III, Staff Sgt. Jack W. (18 February 2010). "This week at the 49th Missile Defense Battalion". US Army. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  10. Sharon Watkins Lang, USASMDC/ARSTRAT Command Historian (16 February 2016) SMDC History: SMDC creates first non-TRADOC Battle Lab 1997–2015
  11. Sharon Watkins Lang (SMDC/ARSTRAT Command Historian) (27 September 2018). "SMDC History: Army accepts Safeguard System".
  12. Associated Press, "U.S. Army tests new dirigible craft to detect cruise missiles", 20 April 2010.
  13. Jen Judson (27 May 2016). "Congress Nails Runaway Blimp's Coffin Shut". Defense News. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
  14. DVIDs video, 24 August 2018 press conference
  15. David Vergun, Army News Service (8 December 2017) US Army Futures Command to reform modernization, says secretary of the Army
  16. AFC announcement, Friday (13 July 2018) Army Officials Announce New Army Command video 34 minutes, 27 seconds
  17. Sydney J. Freeberg, Jr. (28 May 2019) Beyond INF: An Affordable Arsenal Of Long-Range Missiles? INF Treaty likely to expire in August 2019
  18. Air and missile defense CFT (14 March 2018) Air and Missile Defense
  19. Army Directive 2017–24 (Cross-Functional Team Pilot In Support of Materiel Development)
  20. David Vergun, Defense.gov (22 February 2019) DOD official describes missile defense strategy
  21. Loren Thompson (3 October 2019) Pentagon's Next-Gen Missile Defense Plan Could Leave U.S. Poorly Protected For Years
  22. Sydney J. Freeberg, Jr. (26 January 2018) $86,000 + 5,600 MPH = Hyper Velocity Missile Defense
  23. Sydney J. Freeberg, Jr. (22 August 2018) Why Hypersonics Are No. 1
  24. Joe Lacdan (16 October 2018) The Army joins the Air Force, Navy in attempt to develop hypersonic weaponry
  25. Samantha Hill (SMDC/ARSTRAT) (25 February 2019) Dickinson highlights key developments in missile development and space SHORAD
  26. (19 March 2018) Air and missile defense CFT pursuing 'layered and tiered approach'
  27. "Air Force Magazine, Volume 89". 2006. p. 73. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  28. Gruss, Mike (1 August 2016). "U.S. Army general dies two days before taking new command". SpaceNews. Retrieved 22 August 2020.

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