Mike Rogers says committee “will examine the striking irregularities” in handling of United States Space Command Headquarters
The House Armed Services Committee is holding hearings on Thursday into what went into the decision to reverse course and take the award of Space Command from Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, and instead leave it in Colorado Springs even though the Air Force’s dissatisfaction with Colorado Springs precipitated the search for a new location in the first place. The committee is chaired by Congressman Mike Rogers (R-Alabama). Rogers said in his opening statement on Thursday that the Committee “will examine irregularities” in how the Biden administration handled the Space Command relocation. “Today we will examine the striking irregularities in the Biden Administration’s handling of United States Space Command (SPACECOM) Headquarters,” Chairman Rogers said. “Unfortunately, the Biden Administration has chosen to play politics with our national security. After a long and competitive national process, Huntsville, Alabama, was selected as the best location to host United States Space Command or SPACECOM.” “Huntsville beat out, in order: Albuquerque, New Mexico; Bellevue, Nebraska; San Antonio, Texas; and in fifth place, Colorado Springs, Colorado,” Rogers continued. “Since the end of that competition, which was validated by both the GAO and the Biden DoD IG, individuals within the Air Force and the Biden Administration have attempted to circumvent the results and place SPACECOM in Colorado Springs in the name of readiness.” “This is not, and has never been, about readiness,” Rep. Rogers said. “General [Chance] Saltzman, the general officer with day-to-day responsibility for the readiness of more than 90% of SPACECOM’s assigned forces, says, “It is my belief that the permanent location of USSPACECOM headquarters will not impact the readiness of U.S. Space Force forces.”” “General [James] Dickinson has stated that Colorado Springs is the “unmatched” choice for recruiting civilians to work at SPACECOM,” Rogers argued. “Yet, he’s currently using over 360 contractors to fill civilian staffing shortfalls.” Rogers claims the decision to keep Space Command at Colorado Springs will cost taxpayers $426 million more than Huntsville, Alabama, for headquarters operations over the next 15 years. “Hundreds of millions of dollars in readiness lost just so the President can try to endear himself to a purple state prior to next year’s election,” Rogers stated. Rogers accused the Air Force and the White House of “a string of delays and fuzzy math with one goal: White-wash this Administration’s decision to disregard the outcome of a competitive and deliberate selection process that Alabama won.” Rogers said he can show through his investigation that “SPACECOM has already spent over $127 million in Colorado. Including tens of millions of dollars to put up to 800 of our most critical space warfighting decision-makers in an abandoned, 41-year-old factory. Not on a military base, but nine and a half miles away from the base. Not in a secure area. An industrial building next to a middle school, around the corner from an apartment complex, and across the street from a neighborhood. This LEASED space had no proper fence, obsolete security systems, and inadequate facilities to handle the highly classified systems our space capabilities rely on.” “Documents obtained by the committee show that Colorado Springs is out of space and out of infrastructure despite this spending spree,” Rogers continued. “Sensitive equipment is running in buildings without proper backup power, and there is already a massive office space shortfall on the bases in the Colorado Springs area.” “There is no justification for these actions except political considerations,” Rogers said. “It is indefensible to turn the fifth-place finisher into the winner of this basing competition.” After the hearing, Rogers said on X, “In the @HASCRepublicans hearing today, it became obvious that the Biden Administration’s cited “military readiness” concerns are a total fabrication. I am demanding that the DoD Inspector General investigate this heinous meddling in a valid military process.” Members of the Alabama Congressional Delegation insist that the fight for Space Command is not over, even though it increasingly appears unlikely that the Biden Administration will admit their error. Rogers is in his eleventh term representing Alabama’s Third Congressional District. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Dale Strong insists that the fight for Space Command Headquarters is not over
In July, President Joe Biden made the decision to override military planners and the nonpartisan process that decided that national security would be better served by relocating Space Command headquarters (SPACECOM) from Colorado Springs, Colorado, to Red Stone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. On Thursday, Congressman Dale Strong (R-AL05) sent an email to constituents saying that this fight is not over. There will be a hearing before the House Armed Services Committee. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, Space Command Commander General James Dickinson, and Chief of Space Operations General Chance Saltzman will have to testify before the Committee on the Space Command basing decision. “I’m excited to tell you that the next steps related to Space Command are starting to materialize,” Rep. Strong said. “I am fighting the Biden Administration’s corruption and reckless spending from all angles, and President Biden’s decision to award Space Command to the blue state of Colorado is no different.” “Following the July announcement from the White House that the President decided to keep Space Command in Colorado, I sent Chairman Mike Rogers (R-AL03) a letter requesting the committee bring Secretary Kendall and General Dickinson to testify “at the earliest opportunity” regarding the basing decision,” Strong continued. “I am writing today to let you know that Chairman Rogers has agreed with my request, and announced a hearing in the House. I wasn’t kidding when I said this is far from over. Our next step is to bring these military leaders before the Committee to answer questions under oath.” “The findings of the Defense Department’s robust basing process, and two separate and independent investigations supporting the Department’s initial selection of Redstone, were completely ignored when the fifth best location in Colorado was chosen to host the Space Command headquarters,” Strong stated. “The way the Biden administration and Department of Defense leadership has handled the Space Command situation is something that should worry every American. Inserting pure politics into the Defense Department’s basing process does untold damage to our national security, threatens the credibility of the DOD, and sets a dangerous precedent for all future military decisions. I’ve certainly got a lot of questions I’m ready to ask, and I hope you will tune in.” “In May, I opened a Congressional investigation into the Biden administration’s shameful delay to finalize the permanent basing decision for U.S. Space Command,” Rep. Rogers said. “When the Secretary of the Air Force finally made a decision, he upheld his predecessors’ decision to base U.S. Space Command in Huntsville, Alabama. President Biden then usurped the Air Force Secretary’s authority and named Colorado Springs the permanent basing site for U.S. Space Command in order to improve his political standing for next year’s re-election.” “I have invited Secretary Kendall, General Dickinson, and General Saltzman to testify to the House Armed Services Committee in a public hearing,” Rogers explained. “We will get answers on President Biden’s political manipulation of the selection process.” Strong is serving in his first term representing Alabama’s Fifth Congressional District. He previously served the people of Madison County as head of the County Commission. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
AG Steve Marshall calls for inspector general investigation of Joe Biden’s SPACECOM headquarters decision
On Tuesday, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall submitted a letter to the U.S. Department of Defense’s Inspector General requesting an investigation into the sudden reversal of the decision to locate U.S. Space Command headquarters from Huntsville, Alabama, to Colorado. Marshall made the request for an investigation after news that the head of Space Command, General James Dickinson, a previous advocate for the Redstone Arsenal site in Huntsville, changed his recommendation to President Joe Biden for headquarters to be located in Colorado. Marshall said that the decision to make a change of preference occurred just as General Dickinson, in April 2023, purchased a $1.5 million, 20-acre ranch near the Colorado location. This purchase was never disclosed to members of the Alabama congressional delegation. “Since taking office, this president has targeted red states for daring to resist his radical progressive agenda. But when it comes to national security, politics must take a backseat,” said AG Marshall. “I implore the Inspector General to investigate the oddly timed investment by General Dickinson which coincided with his recommendation against the Air Force’s preferred site in Huntsville. And I will continue to use the unique power of my office to hold President Biden accountable and demand transparency into this politically motivated charade.” In January 2021, after a thorough vetting process, the Secretary of the Air Force identified the Redstone Arsenal site in Huntsville for the U.S. Space Command headquarters. The recommendation for the site was then affirmed by the U.S. Department of Defense’s Inspector General’s Office and the Government Accountability Office, finding that the Air Force had conducted an accurate analysis and Huntsville was the superior location. The Colorado congressional delegation staunchly opposed the planned move of Space Command to Alabama. On July 31, 2023, government officials reported that President Biden reversed the decision to locate Space Command’s headquarters in Huntsville and instead selected a location in Colorado. News reports credited General James Dickinson with convincing Biden to choose Colorado, stating, “General James Dickinson, who argued that moving his headquarters now would jeopardize military readiness. Dickinson’s view, however, was in contrast to Air Force leadership.” Gen. Dickinson had spoken to Alabama officials as recently as June 2023, where he confirmed with Alabama’s congressional delegation that Redstone Arsenal would be the headquarters for U.S. Space Command. “I have invited Secretary [Frank] Kendall, General Dickinson, and General [Chance] Saltzman to testify to the House Armed Services Committee in a public hearing.” Congressman Mike Rogers (R-AL03) said on Twitter. Rogers chairs the House Armed Services Committee. “Biden Administration officials have consistently evaded Congressional Oversight on the Space Command basing decision,” Rogers added. “It’s past time for them to answer the questions my colleagues and I on @HASCRepublicans have related to the matter.” The General did not disclose that in April 2023, he had registered a deed to a $1.5 million, 20-acre ranch near the Colorado headquarters location. It is still unknown whether or not he disclosed his personal interest in Colorado to President Biden or other superiors. Colorado voted largely for Biden in 2020. To win in 2024, he will need to keep Colorado in the Democratic fold. Alabama is a solid red state. Biden has no chance of carrying Alabama, even if the state were awarded Space Command. The decision to keep Space Command in Colorado is widely regarded as political. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Alabama Legislators react to Space Command decision, denouncing it as a ‘political move’
On Monday, President Joe Biden formalized what most political observers already knew when he announced that he was going to block Space Command from coming to Alabama. To Alabama legislators, the decision seems to have been made for political reasons, as the President needs Colorado’s electoral college votes to have any realistic chance of surviving next year’s presidential election. No Democrat has carried the state of Alabama in a presidential race since 1976, and Biden has no chance of being competitive in conservative Alabama. Biden said that U.S. officials believe that keeping the command in Colorado Springs will avoid a disruption in readiness that moving would cause. U.S. officials told The Associated Press that Biden was convinced by the head of Space Command, Gen. James Dickinson, who argued that moving his headquarters now would jeopardize military readiness. A number of Alabama leaders noted their displeasure at Biden’s decision to keep Space Command in Colorado Springs. Colorado Springs was fourth behind Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Nebraska, and San Antonio, Texas. Space Command was formed in 2019. The command was temporarily based in Colorado, and Air Force and Space Force leaders initially recommended it stay there. In the final days of his presidency, Donald Trump decided it should be based in Huntsville. Congressman Robert Aderholt (R-AL04) said, “Not only is it outrageous, but also unfortunate for the American people to hear that the Secretary of the Air Force allowed politics to circumvent his, and the Department of Defense’s, own basing selection process that determined Huntsville, Alabama as the preferred location of SPACECOM.” “Over and over again, the legitimate process proved that Alabama was the right choice for SPACECOM HQ,” said Rep. Aderholt. “Unfortunately for this nation this decision is the latest chapter in the long saga of the Biden Administration’s failing national security record, and I know the majority of the American people feel the same way. As a nation, we must do better.” Congresswoman Terri Sewell (D-AL07) said, “The Administration’s decision to keep Space Command in Colorado bows to the whims of politics over merit. Huntsville won this selection process fair and square based on the merits. In three separate reports, Huntsville reigned victorious, whereas Colorado did not come in second or even third. This reversal is as shameful as it is disappointing.” “I expected more from the Biden Administration,” said Sewell. “A decision of this magnitude should not be about red states versus blue states, but rather what is in the best interest of our national security. To be clear, the Alabama Congressional Delegation stands united in opposition to this decision.” Congressman Gary Palmer (R-AL06) said, “This decision made by the Biden Administration is unacceptable,” said Rep. Palmer. “When making decisions, the administration has continuously put politics over what is best for the nation. The Department of Defense determined that Huntsville, Alabama, was the best location for Space Command long ago. Instead, they are picking Colorado, the fifth best option by their very own report. Not only is this decision another broken promise and the result of political gamesmanship, but it jeopardizes our nation’s national security and sets a dangerous precedent for future decisions made solely based on political preference.” “Over two and a half years ago, the Air Force chose Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville for the headquarters of Space Command over 59 other cities on the basis of 21 different criteria,” explained U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama). “As soon as Joe Biden took office, he paused movement on that decision and inserted politics into what had been a fair and objective competition—not because the facts had changed, but because the political party of the sitting President had changed.” “The Biden Administration has been talking a lot about readiness over the past few months, but no Administration has done more to damage our military readiness in my lifetime,” Sen. Tuberville said. “They’ve politicized our military, destroyed our recruiting, misused our tax dollars for their extremist social agenda, and now they are putting Space Command headquarters in a location that didn’t even make the top three. They are doing this at a time when space is only becoming more important for national security.” Congressman Mike Rogers (R-AL03) said, “Huntsville, Alabama was chosen to be the headquarters of U.S. Space Command because it was the strongest location and investigations by the DoD IG and GAO have upheld this decision. Yet, the Biden administration decided to make Colorado Springs, Colorado, which came in fifth in the Selection Phase, the location of the headquarters for U.S. Space Command. It’s clear that far-left politics, not national security, was the driving force behind this decision.” Both Houses of Congress had just passed their versions of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), with the Senate only finishing their version late on Thursday. Congress then left for its August recess. “It is also shameful that the Administration waited until Congress had gone into recess and already passed next year’s defense budget before announcing this decision,” Tuberville said. “The top three choices for Space Command headquarters were all in red states—Alabama, Nebraska, and Texas. Colorado didn’t even come close. This decision to bypass the three most qualified sites looks like blatant patronage politics, and it sets a dangerous precedent that military bases are now to be used as rewards for political supporters rather than for our security.” U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Alabama) said, “President Biden has irresponsibly decided to yank a military decision out of the Air Force’s hands in the name of partisan politics. Huntsville finished first in both the Air Force’s Evaluation Phase and Selection Phase, leaving no doubt that the Air Force’s decision to choose Redstone as the preferred basing location was correct purely on the merits. That decision should have remained in the Air Force’s purview. Instead, President Biden is now trying to hand the Gold Medal to the fifth-place finisher. The President’s blatant prioritization of partisan political considerations at the expense of our national security, military modernization, and force readiness is a disservice and a dishonor to his oath of office as our nation’s Commander-in-Chief. Locating the permanent Space Command Headquarters on Redstone Arsenal
Joe Biden decides to keep Space Command in Colorado, rejecting move to Alabama
President Joe Biden has decided to keep U.S. Space Command headquarters in Colorado, overturning a last-ditch decision by the Trump administration to move it to Alabama. The choice ended months of thorny deliberations, but an Alabama lawmaker vowed to fight on. U.S. officials told The Associated Press on Monday that Biden was convinced by the head of Space Command, Gen. James Dickinson, who argued that moving his headquarters now would jeopardize military readiness. Dickinson’s view, however, was in contrast to Air Force leadership, who studied the issue at length and determined that relocating to Huntsville, Alabama, was the right move. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details of Biden’s rationale for the decision. In announcing the plans, Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, said the decision was based on an “objective and deliberate process informed by data and analysis.” He said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin supported the president’s decision. Reaction to the decision came fast and was sharply divided, as Colorado lawmakers praised it and Alabama officials slammed it as a political maneuver. “This fight is far from over,” warned Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. Biden, said the U.S. officials, believes that keeping the command in Colorado Springs would avoid a disruption in readiness that the move would cause, particularly as the U.S. races to compete with China in space. And they said Biden firmly believes that maintaining stability will help the military be better able to respond in space over the next decade. Those factors, they said, outweighed what the president believed would be any minor benefits of moving to Alabama. Biden’s decision enraged Alabama lawmakers and is sure to fuel accusations that abortion politics played a role in the choice. The location debate has become entangled in the ongoing battle between Alabama Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville and the Defense Department over the move to provide travel for troops seeking reproductive health care. Tuberville opposed the policy is blocking hundreds of military promotions in protest. The U.S. officials said the abortion issue had no effect at all on Biden’s decision. And they said the president fully expected there would be different views on the matter within the Defense Department. Tuberville, in a statement, said the top three choices for Space Command headquarters were all in Republican-leaning states — Alabama, Nebraska, and Texas — and bypassing them “looks like blatant patronage politics.” Formally created in August 2019, the command was temporarily based in Colorado, and Air Force and Space Force leaders initially recommended it stay there. In the final days of his presidency, Donald Trump decided it should be based in Huntsville. The change triggered a number of reviews. Proponents of keeping the command in Colorado have argued that moving it to Huntsville and creating a new headquarters would set back its progress at a time it needs to move quickly to be positioned to match China’s military space rise. And Colorado Springs is also home to the Air Force Academy, which now graduates Space Force guardians, and more than 24 military space missions, including three Space Force bases. Officials also argued that any new headquarters in Alabama would not be completed until sometime after 2030, forcing a lengthy transition. Huntsville, however, scored higher than Colorado Springs in a Government Accountability Office assessment of potential locations and has long been a home to some of the earliest missiles used in the nation’s space programs, including the Saturn V rocket. It is home to the Army’s Space and Missile Defense Command. According to officials, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, who ordered his own review of the matter, leaned toward Huntsville, while Dickinson was staunchly in favor of staying put. The officials said Austin presented both options to Biden. In a statement Monday, Kendall said the service will work to quickly implement Biden’s decision, adding that keeping the command in Colorado will “avoid any disruption to its operational capability.” The decision was hailed as a victory in Colorado lawmakers and condemned in Alabama. “For two and a half years, we’ve known any objective analysis of this basing decision would reach the same conclusion we did, that Peterson Space Force Base is the best home for Space Command,” Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., said in a statement. “Most importantly, this decision firmly rejects the idea that politics — instead of national security — should determine basing decisions central to our national security.” Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., said the decision “restores integrity to the Pentagon’s basing process and sends a strong message that national security and the readiness of our Armed Forces drive our military decisions.” Rogers, meanwhile, vowed that his committee will continue an investigation into the matter, calling it a “deliberate taxpayer-funded manipulation of the selection process.” He added, “It’s clear that far-left politics, not national security, was the driving force behind this decision.” Republican Alabama Sen. Katie Britt echoed his sentiment, saying it was irresponsible for Biden to “yank a military decision out of the Air Force’s hands in the name of partisan politics.” She said an Air Force evaluation of the potential locations ranked Huntsville first, adding that the decision ”should have remained in the Air Force’s purview.” Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Will Ainsworth: Alabama congressional delegation fights Joe Biden’s efforts to corrupt Space Command HQ selection
31 That is the number of months that have elapsed since Alabama was officially announced as the location for U.S. Space Command headquarters. 3 That is the number of independent studies conducted by the Department of Defense Inspector General and the Government Accounting Office that rate Huntsville’s Redstone Arsenal as the best place for U.S. Space Command headquarters. 5 That is where President Joe Biden’s preferred state of Colorado ranks on the list of states qualified to house U.S. Space Command. 31…3…5 Those three simple numbers are all the evidence you need to demonstrate that the Biden administration has fully politicized the most important long-term strategic decision that Pentagon officials have made in decades. During his more lucid moments, Biden has made no secret that he prefers to place U.S. Space Command in a blue state like Colorado, which aligns more closely with his own ultra-liberal views, rather than a red state like Alabama that fiercely embraces conservative principles and strongly supported President Donald Trump’s candidacy in both 2016 and 2020. But with space serving as the newest battlefield in potential conflicts with hostile nations like Russia, China, and North Korea, politicizing what should be a decision based solely upon military advantage harms our defensive posture and puts the lives of roughly 335 million residents of the United States at risk. The members of Alabama’s congressional delegation, even those whose districts are located at the opposite extreme of the Tennessee Valley, are currently fighting a tremendous battle against Biden’s politicization in the corridors, committee rooms, and chambers of the U.S. Capitol building. Both U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville and Senator Katie Britt recently met with General James Dickinson, the commanding general of U.S. Space Command, and publicly reported they received his assurance that Alabama remains the unequivocal choice for the agency’s headquarters among members of the nation’s military leadership. Congressman Dale Strong, whose district includes Huntsville, received the same affirmation from Dickinson. House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, a veteran congressman from the Anniston area with more than two decades of service, has inserted a provision in legislation that bans any construction related to Space Command headquarters from taking place until the Air Force confirms Alabama as the permanent location. The Rogers amendment also freezes half of the Air Force secretary’s travel budget until a permanent announcement is forthcoming. Likewise, Congressman Robert Aderholt of Haleyville and Congressman Jerry Carl of Mobile both serve on the House Appropriations Committee and have also inserted clauses pausing Space Command construction and other military development until an official announcement that is “in alignment” with the independent selection process is made. And after the Air Force leadership obliquely suggested that the criteria for locating Space Command may have secretly “changed” without public notice, Rogers opened an Armed Service Committee investigation into the delay surrounding the headquarters, and every email, memo, letter, note, and other material that touches upon the topic is becoming subject to congressional subpoena. Congressman Gary Palmer of Birmingham, Congressman Barry Moore of Enterprise, and even Congresswoman Terri Sewell of Birmingham, a fellow Democrat with Biden, have also communicated with the Air Force secretary and are equally committed to championing Redstone Arsenal’s cause. With the 2024 presidential election fast approaching, the stench of politics surrounding Space Command becomes exponentially stronger with each day that passes. A final, firm, and committed Pentagon announcement that Redstone Arsenal secured the selection was supposed to occur in December, but openness and accountability have been replaced with silence and stonewalling. Despite Biden’s ongoing efforts to corrupt a fair and independent process, Alabamians can remain secure in the knowledge that our congressional delegation is working hard every day to fight the smoke-and-mirrors approach being pushed by the White House and return honesty and fairness to the Space Command headquarters selection. For that, we can all be thankful. Will Ainsworth has served as lieutenant governor of Alabama since 2019.
Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville says Space Command prefers Huntsville for HQ, but command has no comment
Alabama Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville said in a tweet Wednesday that the top general in charge of U.S. Space Command told him during a meeting that Huntsville, not Colorado Springs, Colorado, is the preferred location for its new headquarters. Tuberville’s tweet, which his office also issued in a press release, is the latest twist in the ongoing brawl over where U.S. Space Command should be located. The decision has become entangled in a far larger political fight between Tuberville and the Defense Department over reproductive health care for service members, which is now jeopardizing the promotions of hundreds of military officers. The senator tweeted that Gen. James Dickinson “confirmed Huntsville is the preferred location of Space Command headquarters. Enough is enough, it’s time to bring U.S. Space Command home to Huntsville.” U.S. Space Command had no comment on Tuberville’s statement. Tuberville is fighting for a basing decision that could bring hundreds of lucrative jobs to his constituency. The Air Force and Space Force initially recommended that the headquarters be placed in Colorado Springs, but in the final days of his term President Donald Trump decided the new headquarters would be based in Huntsville. Huntsville scored higher than Colorado Springs in a Government Accountability Office assessment of potential locations and has long been a home to some of earliest missiles used in the nation’s space programs, including the Saturn V rocket. It is home to the Army’s Space and Missile Defense Command. Colorado Springs is home to the Air Force Academy, which now graduates Space Force guardians, and more than 24 military space missions, including three Space Force bases and the temporary home of U.S. Space Command. Proponents of keeping the command in Colorado argue that moving it to Huntsville and creating a new headquarters would set back its progress at a time it needs to move quickly to be positioned to match China’s military space rise. The basing decision, while not directly connected, has become part of a larger political fight. The Biden administration has not moved forward with assigning the headquarters to Huntsville as the decision went through a series of congressional and inspector general reviews. Meanwhile, Tuberville has used a Senate privilege to essentially stop any military officer nominations or promotions until the Defense Department rescinds a policy that would allow and provide support for service members to seek reproductive care outside their current assignment area. The Biden administration has not said whether it will overturn the previous decision to award the headquarters to Alabama, which has some of the strictest abortion laws in the country. However, the holds are having significant trickle-down effects on military families who would be now getting ready to move to their next base and getting their kids set up in a new school. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Terri Sewell and Robert Aderholt show support for Huntsville as the preferred location for U.S. Space Command Headquarters
U.S. Reps. Terri Sewell and Robert Aderholt released a joint statement in support of Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville as the preferred location for U.S. Space Command Headquarters. Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama was chosen by the U.S. Air Force to be the permanent site for the U.S. Space Command headquarters. Alabama was selected over five other states, including Colorado, where Space Command is provisionally located. The Associated Press reported that Colorado officials lambasted the move, arguing that military officials had recommended to Trump that Space Command should remain at the Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs. However, they claim they were “overruled for politically motivated reasons.” They did not say what those alleged political reasons were. Congressional colleagues from locations that lost the competition requested two government agencies, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, investigate the U.S. Air Force’s basing process. The GAO report will be publicly released in the coming weeks. Sewell and Aderholt stated, “There is no better place for our nation’s Space Command headquarters than the Rocket City. Huntsville is the world’s premier hub for space exploration and innovation and we resoundingly support the 2021 decision to locate it there. We stand by the Air Force’s decision that Huntsville is the best and only home for U.S. Space Command. We look forward to reviewing the Government Accountability Office’s report and remain confident that an objective analysis of the facts will yield the same conclusion.” Sewell stated on Twitter, “There is no better place for the U.S. Space Command headquarters than the Rocket City and I am confident that an objective analysis of the facts will yield the same conclusion.” On March 8th, General James H. Dickinson, Commander of U.S. Space Command, was asked if a move of Space Command away from its temporary home might result in operational disruptions or delays to the mission. The General responded, “I would say we are a couple or three years away from full operational capability … wherever I’m located.”
