Mr. Mike Chandanais serves as the Director of Satellite Communications and Deputy to the Commander for U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command’s Satellite Operations Brigade. He is responsible for Wideband and Narrowband MILSATCOM global payload management as well as all satellite communications planning at the Command’s Regional Satellite Communications Support Centers. He also serves as the Operational Project Lead and Operational Project Manager for DoD’s Wideband Satellite Communications Joint Production Memorandums of Understanding and directs the Command’s delivery of MILSATCOM through DoD’s other international partner agreements.
Mr. Chandanais is a retired Army Signal Officer. Over a 23-year career he served in a variety of assignments at various echelons beginning with the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment (Blackhorse), and the 141st Signal Battalion in Germany. Later he was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, where he served with the 187th Infantry Regiment, Division G6, 3rd Brigade S6 (Rakkasans), and 501st Signal Battalion. As a field grade officer his tours included assignments with 78th Division, 69th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, Third Army, and Mission Command Center of Excellence. His final tour was with USASMDC where he led the Regional SATCOM Support Division. Since 2004, he was the communications planner for several key partnership events include the 60th Anniversary of D-Day Commemoration Ceremonies, US Israel missile defense partnership program culminating with Juniper Cobra 2005, and several allied communications interoperability experiments including Talon Strike, Omni Fusion, and Allied Auroras.
Following Mr. Chandanais’ retirement from active duty in 2014, he accepted an appointment as a Department of Army Civilian serving first as the Chief of Plans for G6 Narrowband Division and later selected as the Director of Satellite Communications.
Mr. Chandanais is a graduate of Michigan State and Webster Universities, Combined Arms and Services Staff School, and the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College.
He and his wife Nicole have been married for more than 27 years and have two daughters.