The U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command welcomed its new deputy commander for operations during a transfer of operations ceremony at Peterson Space Force Base, Colo., on March 20, 2025.
COL (Promotable) Donald K. Brooks ’99, who most recently served as the Space and Missile Defense Center of Excellence commandant, assumed duties from the outgoing deputy commanding general for operations, BG John L. Dawber. As DC-O, Brooks will be SMDC’s highest-ranking senior officer in Colorado Springs to assist Commanding General LTC Sean A. Gainey.
“At its core, this command is a warfighting command, and we’re excited about its future opportunities,” Gainey said during the ceremony. “It’s essential that we fulfill our commitment to protect the homeland, always ready to secure the high ground. Our DCG-O is the tip of the spear when it comes to ensuring warfighting readiness in Army space and missile defense.”
During his time as the SMD Center of Excellence commandant, Brooks was responsible for oversight and integration of the Space and Missile Defense School and the Army Space Personnel Development Office, which is the personnel proponent for the Army’s Functional Area 40. Gainey praised Brooks’s work in establishing an Army space branch and enlisted space military occupational specialty and developing the Army space training strategy.
“Don Brooks is no stranger to this command,” Gainey said. “He has spearheaded several initiatives (as commandant) – and just one of these initiatives could take an organization several years to accomplish. He is that leader and my hand-selected choice for this position. I can’t think of a more ideal choice to serve as the next DCG-O of this command.”
Brooks graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1999 and commissioned into Field Artillery. In his early career, he was assigned as a platoon leader, battery executive officer and battalion S1 in the III Corps Artillery at Fort Sill, Okla., and later served various operational roles with the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, at Fort Stewart, Ga.
Brooks, who designated as a space operations officer in 2008, commanded the 1st Space Battalion at Fort Carson, Colo., from 2017 to 2019, then moved to Tampa, Fla., to establish the U.S. Space Command’s Joint Integrated Space Team at both U.S. Special Operations Command and U.S. Central Command before returning to Colorado to command the 1st Space Brigade from 2021 to 2023. He assumed the role as the SMD CoE commandant in August 2023.
Brooks is the 17th officer to hold the position of deputy commander for operations since its creation in 2002.
“As I step into this role, I do so with a deep sense of duty and commitment to our mission,” Brooks said. “Space and missile defense are at the forefront of our nation’s security, and the work we do here is vital to ensuring that our warfighters have the advantage they need to fight and win. I pledge to earn our patch daily and to serve this command with integrity, determination, and a relentless pursuit of excellence.”
