Lost In Space: The History of the U.S. Army Space Cadre

Who are the ever-elusive U.S. Army Space Cadre? In this article, the Space Cadre force structure is broken down across its categories – FA40As [Space Operations Officers], FA40Cs [U.S. Army Astronauts], and 3Ys [Space Enabler ASI] – and the components of the U.S. Army. Additionally, this article underpins the space capabilities that Space Cadre can provide to the warfighter, as well as contextualizes their formation and utilization in U.S. warfighting operations such as the Gulf War (1990 – 1991) – dubbed as the “First Space War.” Lastly, this article very briefly highlights the future implications of U.S. Army Space Operations. The purpose of this article is to not only inform U.S. Army Commanders of the space professionals in their ranks but to also encourage the growth and maintenance of the U.S. Army Space Cadre as a small, modular force structure capable of bridging institutional gaps relating to space across the Joint Force.