Lieutenant General Sean Gainey, USA (Ret.)

Principal

Former Commander of the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command

Sean Gainey is a retired Lieutenant General with a 36-year career in the Army. He specialized in Air and Missile Defense, Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), and Army Space operations. His final role in the Army was serving as commander of the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command, where he led a diverse team of 12,600 military and civilian professionals. Together, they were responsible for equipping and training forces to handle space operations and missile defense for both the Army and joint military efforts.

During his tenure, Sean additionally played a key role in establishing the Joint Task Force Gold, which supported U.S. Northern Command in planning and executing the Golden Dome of America initiative. His extensive experience includes collaborating with various military branches. Sean served as the Army’s representative to the U.S. Space Command and U.S. Strategic Command, overseeing Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) operations.

Previously, Sean was the Director of the Joint Counter-UAS Office (JCO) and the Director of Fires in the Army G 3/5/7, before becoming commanding general. In these roles, he founded the first organization dedicated to tackling the emerging drone threat and developed the Department of Defense’s first counter-drone strategy and joint training plan. Sean’s career encompasses a wide range of operational, training, and strategic positions across the Army and Joint Force, including leadership roles in air and missile defense in regions such as the Middle East, Europe, and Asia.

Sean is a proud graduate of Georgia Southern University and holds master’s degrees from Central Michigan University and the Eisenhower School.