WARSAW, Poland – U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 Sanjeev "Jay" Sivasankaran was recognized as the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance’s U.S. Army European Missile Defender of the Year at the 2024 European Missile Defender of the Year conference in Warsaw on May 9.
The event, now in its seventh year, recognized air and missile defenders from multiple countries and services, including the U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, Poland, Romania, Lithuania, and Ukraine.
The conference celebrates air defense excellence, innovation, and the vital role that air defenders play protecting the skies of Europe. A spokesperson for the MDAA said the event “is about recognizing our best people, our champions, and forces that have the noblest of missions to defend lives throughout the European continent.”
Sivasankaran serves as the senior air and missile defense technician for the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command. In this role, he oversees all U.S. Army air and missile defense logistics efforts, including repairs, new equipment fielding, and advising on system emplacement across Europe and Africa. His work portfolio includes a wide variety of air defense interceptors, platforms, and other capabilities within the 10th AAMDC.
Sivasankaran’s career as an air defender is defined by the impact he makes daily. “As an air defender, I am in a unique position now to make a difference to a country. Air defense can save a country. Ever since I became an air defender in 2004, I have seen that fact to be true. If I do my job correctly, I can help save a country and its people,” he said.
This award, though not the first in his 20 years of service, holds special significance for Sivasankaran. Reflecting on the honor, he said, “It was folks all over the world who were brought in and recognized. It was a reminder why we don’t stop our mission, because our adversary doesn’t stop. We must stay current, informed, and ready with options always.”
While humbled and honored to accept the award, Sivasankaran remains motivated by his legacy of helping others and working hard to accomplish the mission. “What keeps me getting up is making a difference to the people. Let it be here in Europe or anywhere. There is a need to work hard; lives are at stake here literally. My legacy is to be associated with hard, meaningful work. This work is a privilege, this conference was a privilege. Once you understand that what you get to do every day is a privilege, you become a combat multiplier.”
Air defenders like Sivasankaran are the foundation of integrated air and missile defense in Europe and around the world. Conferences like the MDAA’s 2024 European Missile Defender of the Year are an opportunity to recognize excellence, discuss challenges and opportunities, and build new relationships while reinforcing existing ones across the alliance and partnerships.
Nowhere is integration more important than in air and missile defense. Through the efforts, expertise, and work of air defenders like Sivasankaran, Europe’s skies will continue to be protected.
For additional information, contact 10th AAMDC Public Affairs Office at +49 (0)611.143.542.2872 or usarmy.rheinland-pfalz.10aamdc.pao@army.mil
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