1st Space Brigade explained

Unit Name:	1st Space Brigade
Dates:	2005–present^[1]
Type:	Brigade
Role:	Space operations
Command Structure:	United States Army Space and Missile Defense Command
Garrison:	Colorado Springs, Colorado, U.S.
Garrison Label:	Headquarters
Commander1:	COL Mark A. Cobos
Commander1 Label:	Commander
Commander2 Label:	Deputy Commander
Commander3:	CSM Maurice L. Tucker
Commander3 Label:	CSM
Identification Symbol Label:	Distinctive unit insignia

The 1st Space Brigade is a United States Army unit. Assigned to the United States Army Space and Missile Defense Command, it is responsible for providing space combat power support to Army units. Activated in 2005 as a TOE unit after being provisionally active since 2003, it is headquartered at Colorado Springs, Colorado.^[1]

The 1st Space Brigade (Provisional) was activated in May 2003, with the 1st Space Battalion, the 1st Satellite Control Battalion (later to become the 53rd Signal Battalion), and the 193rd Space Battalion (Colorado Army National Guard).^[2] On 20 October 2007 the provisional 193rd Space Battalion became a permanent-status unit, the 117th Space Battalion.^[3]

Since 2019, five missile defense batteries have been assigned to 1st Space Brigade including two in Japan and one each in Israel, Turkey, and Qatar.^[4]

The mission of 1st Space Brigade is to "conduct continuous, global space support, space control and space force enhancement operations in support of U.S. Strategic Command and Supported Combatant Commanders enabling the delivery of decisive combat power."^{[5] [6]}

Structure

Name		Mission	Headquarters	Subordinate units
	1st Space Battalion	Plan, integrate, synchronize and execute global theater ballistic missile warning, space situational awareness, space and technical operations support, and assigned contingency activities^[7]	Fort Carson, Colorado	Headquarters and Headquarters Company^[8] 2nd Space Company (Space Control Planning Team)^[9] 4th Space Company (Space Control)^[10] 18th Space Company (Space Control)^[11]
	2nd Space Battalion (Army Reserve)	Plan, integrate, synchronize and execute space situational awareness, space and technical operations support, and assigned contingency activities^[12]	Fort Carson, Colorado	Headquarters and Headquarters Company^[13] 3rd Space Company (Army Space Support Team) ^[14] 5th Space Company (Army Space Support Team)^[15] 6th Space Company(Army Space Support Team)^[16] 8th Space Company (Space Control)^[17] 23rd Space Company^[18]

The brigade also has five missile defense batteries equipped with AN/TPY-2 forward-based radar conducting ballistic missile tracking operations in support of theater and homeland defense. The forward-based radar may also be used to conduct space surveillance and data collection.^[19] In 2023, the brigade also operated Site 512, a United States Department of Defence radar facility in Negev, Israel.^[20]

The 117th Space Battalion, Colorado Army National Guard has a training, readiness, and oversight (TRO) relationship with the 1st Space Brigade but is not actually part of it, as of 2021.^[1]

List of commanders

• COL Timothy R. Coffin, 27 July 2006^[21]
• COL Jeffrey A. Farnsworth, 10 July 2008^[21]
• COL Eric P. Henderson, 30 June 2010^[22]
• COL James R. Meisinger, July 2012^[23]
• COL Thomas L. James, 11 July 2014^[24]
• COL Richard Zellmann, 21 June 2016^[25]
• COL Eric D. Little, 13 July 2018^[26]
• COL Brian C. Bolio, 1 July 2020^[27]
• LTC Whitney Hall, ~2020 (acting)^{[28] [29] [30]}
• COL Donald K. Brooks, 5 March 2021^{[31] [30]}

References

• SMDC DCG-O
• Space Soldiers ready to defend the homeland against threats from the sky Sgt. Zachary Sheely, 100th Missile Defense Brigade (August 17, 2018)
• Army Space Support Teams (ARSSTs) from the Colorado Army National Guard's 117th Space Support Battalion ^[32]

Notes and References

1. Web site: 1st Space Brigade. www.smdc.army.mil.
2. Web site: The Eagle. May 2003. https://web.archive.org/web/20130218132213/http://www.smdc.army.mil/2008/Eagle/03Eagle/Eagle_May_03.pdf. 2013-02-18. dead.
3. News: 117th Space Battalion's new colors flown on shuttle Atlantis. Kenney. Laura D.. 25 October 2007. Peterson Air Force Base. 2017-10-25. en-US.
4. Web site: Judson. Jen. 2021-10-11. Multidomain ops drive change to Army's 1st Space Brigade. 2022-02-04. Defense News. en.
5. http://www.smdc.army.mil/2008/Eagle/03Eagle/Eagle_May_03.pdf (11 April 2003) SMDC activates 1st Space Brigade (Provisional)
6. Unshin Lee Harpley (5 Oct 2023) Space Force Takes Over JTAGS Mission from the Army Joint Tactical Ground Station missile warning system detachments in Italy, Qatar, South Korea, and Japan
7. https://www.smdc.army.mil/ORGANIZATION/1st-Space-Brigade/
8. https://www.smdc.army.mil/Portals/38/Documents/Publications/Publications/Global_Defender/2023_Global_Defender_508_Compliant.pdf
9. https://www.smdc.army.mil/Portals/38/Documents/Publications/Publications/Global_Defender/2023_Global_Defender_508_Compliant.pdf
10. https://www.smdc.army.mil/Portals/38/Documents/Publications/Publications/Global_Defender/2023_Global_Defender_508_Compliant.pdf
11. https://www.smdc.army.mil/Portals/38/Documents/Publications/Publications/Global_Defender/2023_Global_Defender_508_Compliant.pdf
12. https://www.smdc.army.mil/ORGANIZATION/1st-Space-Brigade/
13. https://www.smdc.army.mil/Portals/38/Documents/Publications/Publications/Global_Defender/2023_Global_Defender_508_Compliant.pdf
14. https://www.smdc.army.mil/Portals/38/Documents/Publications/Publications/Global_Defender/2023_Global_Defender_508_Compliant.pdf
15. https://www.smdc.army.mil/Portals/38/Documents/Publications/Publications/Global_Defender/2023_Global_Defender_508_Compliant.pdf
16. https://www.smdc.army.mil/Portals/38/Documents/Publications/Publications/Global_Defender/2023_Global_Defender_508_Compliant.pdf
17. https://www.smdc.army.mil/Portals/38/Documents/Publications/Publications/Global_Defender/2023_Global_Defender_508_Compliant.pdf
18. https://www.smdc.army.mil/Portals/38/Documents/Publications/Publications/Global_Defender/2023_Global_Defender_508_Compliant.pdf
19. https://www.smdc.army.mil/ORGANIZATION/1st-Space-Brigade/
20. Web site: 2023-11-22 . Israel/United States : Site 512, a US military bubble in Israel's Negev desert - 22/11/2023 . 2024-05-10 . Intelligence Online . en.
21. Web site: 1st Space Brigade Change of Command. www.army.mil.
22. Web site: Army's only space brigade changes commanders. www.army.mil.
23. Web site: James R. Meisinge . LinkedIn.
24. Web site: 1st Space Brigade welcomes new commander. www.army.mil. Thomas L. James
25. Web site: 1st Space Brigade welcomes new commander. www.army.mil. Richard Zellmann
26. Web site: 1st Space Brigade welcomes new commander. www.army.mil. Eric D. Little
27. Web site: 1st Space Brigade welcomes new commander. www.army.mil. Brian C. Bolio
28. Web site: 1st Space Battalion welcomes new commander. DVIDS.
29. Web site: Leadership. 3 March 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210303020740/http://www.smdc.army.mil/ORGANIZATION/Leadership/. 3 March 2021. Whitney Hall
30. Web site: New commander lifts off at 1st Space Brigade. DVIDS.
31. Web site: COL Donald K. Brooks. www.smdc.army.mil. Donald K. Brooks
32. https://citizen-soldiermagazine.com/out-of-this-world-support/ Colorado's Space Support Teams Take the Fight to the Next Frontier