In a decision that has already angered politicians in Alabama, while garnering praise from leaders in Colorado, the Biden Administration announced July 31 that U.S. Space Command’s permanent home will be in Colorado Springs, Colo.
“Today, following a thorough and deliberate evaluation process, and after consultation with Secretary Austin and weighing the input of senior military leaders, President Biden notified the Department of Defense that he has selected Colorado Springs as the permanent location of the U.S. Space Command Headquarters,” said Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder.
The move reverses a decision to move the headquarters to Huntsville, Ala., made by President Donald Trump.
Space Command is a unified combatant command of the Department of Defense, and is responsible for military operations in outer space, specifically all operations 62 miles and greater above mean sea level.
Space Command was originally created in September 1985 to provide joint command and control for all military forces in outer space and coordinate with the other combatant commands. SPACECOM was disestablished in 2002, and its responsibilities and forces were merged into United States Strategic Command. It was reestablished on Aug. 29, 2019, headquartered in Colorado, with a reemphasized focus on space as a warfighting domain.
The U.S. Space Force is the military service responsible for organizing, training, and equipping the majority of forces for U.S. Space Command, which also includes smaller amounts of forces from other branches of the U.S. Armed Forces.
Ryder said the decision to keep the command in Colorado was supported by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, and Gen. James Dickinson, the Army general in charge of Space Command.
“Locating Headquarters U.S. Space Command in Colorado Springs ultimately ensures peak readiness in the space domain for our nation during a critical period,” said Ryder. “It will also enable the command to most effectively plan, execute and integrate military space power into multi-domain global operations in order to deter aggression and defend national interests.”
There was concern from some quarters that if the headquarters moved, it would lose a large number of employees.
Space Command’s Dickinson responded that the uniformed troops who make up roughly 38 percent of the command’s workforce would move if so ordered. But as for the 62 percent who are DOD civilians—a proportion that jumps to 80 percent if contractors are included—“there’s really no way to know” how many would move, Dickinson said.
“Lots of those folks are a great civilian workforce. They have made life choices and that’s why they live, for example, in Colorado Springs. The military — we’re soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and guardians—if told to move, we’ll move,” he said.
The Alabama congressional delegation is already up in arms.
“It’s clear that far-left politics, not national security, was the driving force behind this decision,” House Armed Services Chair Mike Rogers, R-Ala., and chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said in a statement. “The Biden administration’s shameful delay to finalize the permanent basing decision for U.S. Space Command warranted the opening of a Congressional investigation. I will continue this investigation to see if they intentionally misled the Armed Services Committee on their deliberate taxpayer-funded manipulation of the selection process.
“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, Colo., 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,” Rogers continued.
“This fight is far from over,” he added.
U.S. Rep. Dale Strong (R-Huntsville) called President Biden’s reported decision to keep Space Command headquarters in Colorado “shameful.”
“It is clear to anyone who has looked at the facts: Huntsville, Alabama is the best place for U.S. Space Command Headquarters,” Strong said. “Repeated investigations and objective reviews have proven that to be the case.
“It is shameful that the Biden Administration is ignoring what is best for our nation’s security and is instead using their woke agenda to make this decision,” Strong said. “To this point, the administration has refused to answer questions brought forth by the House Armed Services Committee’s investigation of their actions in this process. If they think this will go away … they are wrong. I will ensure they have to explain their actions and answer our questions on the record.”
Alabama Republican Sen. Katie Britt, is the ranking member on the Homeland Security Subcommittee of the Senate Committee on Appropriations.
“President Biden has irresponsibly decided to yank a military decision out of the Air Force’s hands in the name of partisan politics,” said Britt in a statement. “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 undoubtedly remains in the best national security interest of the United States. President Biden should allow the Air Force to proceed with doing its job. Alabama’s world-class aerospace and defense workforce, capabilities, and synergies stand ready to fulfill the mission and strengthen our national security long into the future.”
Colorado lawmakers, on the other hand, are praising the decision.
“Over the past two and half years, we have repeatedly made the case that the Trump Administration’s decision to relocate U.S. Space Command was misguided. Today’s 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. Colorado is the rightful home for U.S. Space Command, and our state will continue to lead America in space for years to come,” said Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo.
“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. After two investigations and rigorous review by the Department of Defense, the administration has made the decision that’s in our country’s best interest,” said Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo. “Most importantly, this decision firmly rejects the idea that politics – instead 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 safe at the cutting edge of this new frontier.”
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