A senior U.S. Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal officer who spent decades tackling one of the most prevalent threats on the modern battlefield has set his sights on a new warfighting domain.
U.S. Space Force Col. Dorian C. Hatcher made the leap from combatting explosives to transforming space acquisition to outpace global competitors in the U.S. Space Force in April 2023.
As the nation’s first new armed service in more than seven decades, the United States Space Force trains, organizes and equips Guardians to conduct global space operations that enhance the way joint and coalition forces fight while also offering military options to achieve national objectives.
Established in December 2019, the U.S. Space Force ensures access and freedom of movement in space while safeguarding national security and economic prosperity.
A native of San Antonio, Hatcher was inspired to serve by his grandfather while growing up on a ranch in Texas.
“My grandfather, a United States Marine, enthralled me with tales from the past – stories not of terror but of camaraderie amidst the chaos of Vietnam and Korea. These narratives illuminated the unexpected humor that Soldiers conjure in the throes of battle and the remarkable cohesion within platoons and teams,” said Hatcher.
“His own journey from enlistment to warfighter to Foreign Area Officer in Tehran, Iran, during the reign of the Shah left a trail of mementos, tangible echoes of far-off duty stations — each infused with its own vivid story,” said Hatcher. “The ethos he showcased, nurtured by Marine Corps values, and cultivated on a Texas cattle ranch, took root within me at an early age.”
Since the Marine Corps did not offer guaranteed Military Occupational Specialties, Hatcher decided to join the U.S. Army instead.
In 1992, he enlisted as a private and began his Army career serving at Camp Casey, South Korea, as a Wheeled Vehicle Mechanic, focusing on keeping equipment ready.
At his next duty station on Fort Campbell, Kentucky, Hatcher decided to become an EOD tech after a fateful meeting with then Staff Sgt. David Puig who drove up in an EOD vehicle.
“His vehicle sported an imposingly large EOD sticker, sparking my curiosity,” said Hatcher. “I couldn’t resist asking him about it, wondering why anyone would choose a path that involved handling hazardous explosives after what I thought was only three weeks of training.”
Puig patiently explained to Hatcher that three weeks of handling explosives was proceeded by more than a year of intensive training and invited Hatcher to the EOD shop on Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Puig then played an EOD recruiting video on a laser disc that would change Hatcher’s life.
Puig would later serve as the third command sergeant major for the U.S. Army’s 20th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives (CBRNE) Command, the U.S. Department of Defense’s premier CBRNE command.
“Recalling that day at Fort Campbell, I still remember the allure of EOD beckoned to me, not as a rash decision but as a calling that resonated with my very being,” said Hatcher. “As a young Soldier, I had no way of knowing the journey ahead would require perseverance, diligence and a deep understanding of the intricate technical nature that defines the EOD field or what a privilege of a lifetime it would be to serve with my EOD brothers, sisters and family.”
After serving as an EOD noncommissioned officer, Hatcher was commissioned through the Green to Gold program in 2001. Following deployment to Operation Iraqi Freedom, Hatcher returned to the EOD field as an operations officer at an EOD battalion. He then assumed the 731st Ordnance Company (EOD) command and deployed to Iraq.
He later served as the EOD operations officer at the 20th CBRNE Command Headquarters on Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland.
The 20th CBRNE Command is home to 75 percent of the active-duty Army EOD techs and Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear (CBRN) specialists, as well as the 1st Area Medical Laboratory, CBRNE Analytical and Remediation Activity, five Weapons of Mass Destruction Coordination Teams and three Nuclear Disablement Teams
Hatcher served as the officer-in-charge of the Combined Joint Task Force Paladin’s Theater Explosive eXploitation Cell (TEX), where he helped to combat the number one threat to coalition forces in Iraq by managing forensics of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).
“As an EOD technician, service and sacrifice is in our DNA, particularly in joint operations,” said Hatcher. “Ours is a rare specialty that requires multiple voluntary risk-taking commitments. The forensic laboratory and intelligence team helped to counter the IED threat and contributed to the apprehension of more than 60 confirmed bomb makers and IED facilitators by supporting the Afghan National Army.”
Hatcher went on to become a joint-qualified officer with significant command, leadership and deployed warfighting experience. He was selected for promotion to colonel and the Army Colonel Command Assessment program.
Serving at U.S. Northern Command, U.S. Army Central, 4th Infantry Division and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and as a deployed Task Force commander were a few of the diverse assignments that tested and developed his operational and leadership abilities.
On December 20, 2019, the National Defense Authorization Act established the U.S. Space Force (USSF) as America’s sixth military service branch.
After more than two decades in the U.S. Army and 57 months deployed to combat zones, Hatcher was reminded of that fateful encounter with Staff Sgt. Puig, and realized, once again, he felt compelled to answer the call and made the decision to apply for interservice transfer to the United States Space Force.
Upon selection and with the support and encouragement of his proud wife Karen and their children L. Ashley and E. Austin, Hatcher joined the Guardian family surrounded by his Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine and Space Force classmates in a joint transfer ceremony at the U.S. Army War College.
Today, Hatcher serves in the Pentagon as the Deputy Director of Space Architecture and division chief of the Joint Capabilities Division in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration, led by Assistant Secretary Frank Calvelli.
“From the initial anonymity of an enlisted mechanic to the intricate art of neutralizing explosives, my journey embodies a fusion of dedication and heritage, all in service of safeguarding our nation,” said Hatcher.
“My military journey has been remarkable, allowing me to serve with our nation’s finest,” said Hatcher. “I am grateful to have been a Soldier and extremely humbled and proud to be a USSF Guardian.”
Hatcher encourages anyone who is thinking about joining the military to talk with veterans and listen to their stories like he did.
