SMDC CG addresses Space Symposium attendees

Published April 11, 2017
By Dottie K. White
U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command and Joint Functional Component Command

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- The Army's top space and missile defense leader spoke on the importance of space capabilities and the people performing those missions during the 33rd Space Symposium at the Broadmoor here, April 6.

Lt. Gen. James Dickinson, commanding general, U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command and Joint Functional Component Command for Integrated Missile Defense, provided an update on the commands' efforts in the space domain.

Both SMDC and JFCC IMD support a number of operational and strategic missions to include providing global communications; position, navigation, and timing; and missile warning to combatant commanders around the globe.

"We continue to leverage space capabilities for today's fight and continue to plan and innovate for tomorrow's conflicts," Dickinson said. "Space is critically important as a joint/coalition domain, and it will take a team effort to achieve success to stay ahead of our adversaries.

"We have some of the best technology in the world, especially in the space domain, but the heart and soul of our forces are the Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen, and Coast Guardsmen," he continued. "We could not achieve success if it was not for the drive, dedication and passion of our people. The Army Space Warriors who deliver our critical space-enabled capabilities are the career field Functional Area 40s or space professionals and the Army's space cadre."

These Army space professionals are assigned to 11 time zones at 23 world-wide locations.

"The Army depends upon space capabilities to enable and enhance land warfare, and virtually every Army and joint operation benefits from space capabilities," said Dickinson. "Today, we use space largely to enhance the effectiveness of our combat forces. We can communicate; navigate; target, find, and fix the enemy; anticipate weather; and protect our forces based on combat and support assets available from space."

Dickinson said space is a vital enabler and component to the Army's land warfare capability, and that the Army is the largest user of space in the Department of Defense since many of the systems depend on space-based capabilities.

"Some of these systems include the LandWarNet that moves information through a seamless network and facilitates information-enabled joint warfighting from the operational base to the edge of tactical formations, down to the individual Soldier," Dickinson said. "Other systems include the Warfighter Information Network that provides Warfighters with voice, video and data services through satellites, and GPS-aided devices such as: PLGRs (Precision Lightweight GPS Receiver), DAGRS (Defense Advanced GPS Receiver) and Friendly Force Tracking to name a few. The people who provide, plan and synchronize these space capabilities are the Army's space cadre community."

Dickinson closed by reiterating the importance of the people and the importance of providing the most advanced space capabilities to the Warfighter, DoD and the nation.

"Always, we must protect our Homeland, our Warfighters and our way of life," Dickinson said. "Our trained and ready Soldiers are the very best. They continue to operate from remote, globally deployed locations and remain on point to defend the homeland and protect the joint force and critical assets around the globe. Our Soldiers remain some of the most talented, resilient, and professional Soldiers I have ever served with in my career. We owe a large debt of gratitude for the sacrifices of these amazing Soldiers and their remarkable families."