Joint Tactical Ground Station Ribbon Cutting

By 1st Sgt. Steve Segin, 302nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

You may not need Camouflage uniforms in space, but you will need them to operate the U.S. Army’s newest space based early missile warning facility. Soldiers from A Detachment, 1st Space Company, 1st Space Battalion, 1st Space Brigade cut the ribbon on a new Joint Tactical Ground Station (JTAGS) facility last week. After more than two decades in Germany, JTAGS moved to NASSIG in 2018.

“JTAGS Europe was stationed at Kelley Barracks, Germany from 1997 to 2018,” said CPT Dustin Mondloch, commander of A Detachment. “In an effort to take advantage of new technology, JTAGS re-stationed to Naval Air Station Sigonella, Italy at the end of 2018.”

As one of the first lines of air defense, JTAGS provide in-theater and strategic missile warning to the U.S. military, our allies and partners. JTAGS operators process direct down-link data from a number of Overhead Persistent Infrared, or OPIR satellites, then disseminate missile warning or special event messages to warfighters in support of regional combatant commanders over multiple theater communication systems.

The re-stationing was necessary to better utilize the OPIR satellite systems JTAGS use to conduct their mission.

“This move was necessary to better leverage our satellites, “said Mondloch “Our new facility on NASSIG ensures JTAGS-Europe remains a viable and operationally effective in-theater missile warning producer well into the foreseeable future.”

The new facility utilizes the JTAGS Block II system which has enhanced capabilities to detect and report OPIR events.

The facility was officially dedicated during a small ceremony February 6th, 2020. Col. Eric Little, Commander of 1st Space Brigade was on NASSIG for the dedication and praised the hard work of all those involved in getting this facility complete.

“This move would not have been possible without our partners here at the Naval Air Station, said Little “The support this community has given us is one of the reasons we are opening today. It has taken teamwork, preservice and hard work to get this facility open.”

The Army fielded the first production model JTAGS at Kelly Barracks in 1997. The JTAGS-Europe detachment, also known at the time as the 15th Air Defense JTAGS Detachment, was the first unit equipped for continuous 24 hour early missile warning.

The JTAGS detachment is part of the 1st Space Battalion, 1st Space Brigade, the Army’s only Space Brigade. Soldiers of the 1st Space Brigade generate and provide space combat power to Army and Joint forces in support of global and continuous multi-domain planning and operations.