SCHRIEVER AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. –
The U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command is now officially recognized as an Army Service Component Command to the newly formed U.S. Space Command.
The relationship was formalized with a flag unfurling ceremony Aug. 21 at Schriever Air Force Base between U.S. Army Gen. James H. Dickinson, USSPACECOM commander, and U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Daniel L. Karbler, USASMDC commanding general.
“The Army’s space forces that we provide to Space Command, whether it’s from the Satellite Operations Brigade to 1st Space Brigade — we are the owner of those Army forces, and my duty is to make sure they’re trained and ready for warfighting operations to support U.S. Space Command. We move, shoot and communicate based on space-enabled capabilities,” Karbler said. “Today we formalized our relationship by unfurling our colors and recognizing the Army’s contributions to U.S. Space Command.”
USSPACECOM, established Aug. 29, 2019, is the nation’s 11th combatant command and brings focused attention to defending U.S. interests in space. Dickinson, who assumed command Aug. 20 during a ceremony at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado, welcomed USASMDC.
“Today we are recognizing the fact that the Army has presented a command to U.S. Space Command who will enable us to do our mission,” Dickinson said. “That mission being to protect and defend our assets in space that provide capabilities for our everyday lives in the nation. Additionally, our ability to provide defense to our warfighters is critical.”
USSPACECOM was originally established in 1985, but was inactivated in 2002, falling under U.S. Strategic Command. USASMDC, which has served as the ASCC to USSTRATCOM since 2002, unofficially served as the ASCC to USSPACECOM since it was established.