President Biden has decided to maintain U.S. Space Command’s headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colorado, reversing a Trump administration decision to base the command in Huntsville, Alabama.
The Pentagon on Tuesday afternoon confirmed the choice, which was first reported by the Associated Press
, stating the end result followed a “thorough and deliberate evaluation process” and had the complete support of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall and Army Gen. James Dickinson, head of Space Command.
“From the beginning, DoD and the Department of the Air Force have worked diligently to make sure the basing decision resulted from an objective and deliberate process informed by data and evaluation, in compliance with federal law and DoD policy,” Air Force Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, said in a press release. “Locating Headquarters U.S. Space Command in Colorado Springs ultimately ensures peak readiness within the space domain for our nation during a critical period. It can also enable the command to most effectively plan, execute and integrate military spacepower into multi-domain global operations as a way to deter aggression and defend national interests.”
Colorado Sens. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) applauded the choice, while Alabama Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), chair of the House Armed Services Committee, said in a press release “the fight is way from over.”
“For 2 and a half years we’ve known any objective evaluation of this basing decision would reach the identical conclusion we did, that Peterson Space Force Base is one of the best home for Space Command. After two investigations and rigorous review by the Department of Defense, the administration has made the choice that’s in our country’s best interest,” Hickenlooper said in a press release. “Most significantly, this decision firmly rejects the concept that politics – as a substitute of national security – should determine basing decisions central to our national security. We’re grateful to the service members and civilians who serve at Space Command, keeping us secure on the leading edge of this recent frontier.”
Bennet added the Trump administration’s suggestion to permanently base Space Command in Huntsville, Alabama was “misguided,” adding the choice to maintain the command in Colorado “restores integrity to the Pentagon’s basing process.”
In January 2021, then Air Force Secretary Barbara Barrett really useful moving Space Command’s everlasting headquarters to Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama after a process that also included considering the interim headquarters at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Kirtland Air Force Base in Latest Mexico, Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska, Joint Base San Antonio in Texas and Patrick Space Force Base in Florida.
Rogers in his statement vowed to proceed HASC’s investigation into the basing decision process and said the Biden administration’s decision to not move Space Command headquarters to Alabama was driven by “far-left politics, not national security.”
“Huntsville, Alabama was chosen to be the headquarters of U.S. Space Command since it was the strongest location and investigations by the DoD [Inspector General] and [Government Accountability Office] have upheld this decision. Yet, the Biden administration decided to make Colorado Springs, Colorado, which got here in fifth within the Selection Phase, the situation of the headquarters for U.S. Space Command,” Rogers said. “The Biden administration’s shameful delay to finalize the everlasting basing decision for U.S. Space Command warranted the opening of a Congressional investigation. I’ll proceed this investigation to see in the event that they intentionally misled the Armed Services Committee on their deliberate taxpayer-funded manipulation of the choice process. I’ll proceed to carry the Biden administration accountable for his or her egregious political meddling in our national security”
During HASC’s markup of the fiscal 12 months 2024 National Defense Authorization Act, Rogers pushed back on a proposed amendment from Colorado Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.) that might have blocked funding for added construction at Space Command’s temporary headquarters in Colorado and limit travel funds for the Air Force secretary until a final decision is made on the situation for the command’s everlasting headquarters (Defense Every day, June 22).
Lamborn, whose district hosts the temporary Space Command headquarters, ultimately withdrew his amendment.
Hickenlooper and Bennet, together with fellows Democrats and Colorado Reps. Diana DeGette, Brittany Pettersen, Yadira Caraveo and Jason Crow, said earlier this month Rogers was holding up approval for “lots of of thousands and thousands of dollars” in DoD reprogramming requests in an effort to place pressure on the Air Force to affirm its decision to base Space Command in Alabama (Defense Every day, July 14).
“This legislative hostage-taking is unconscionable and must stop,” the Colorado lawmakers said in a July 12 statement.
Rogers’ office said in a reply that the Colorado lawmakers’ statement is “a partisan, parochial, and unfaithful misrepresentation of HASC processes” and that “the committee is constant to review reprogramming requests from the Department of Defense.”