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Air Force Report Advocates for Alabama as Preferred Site for Space Command
According to a recent report from the Defense Department’s inspector general, Alabama has consistently been identified as the “preferred location” for the permanent headquarters of the U.S. Space Command (SPACECOM). Relocating the command to Alabama could have saved the Pentagon substantial costs, amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars.
This anticipated report, which has been largely redacted, addresses the Biden administration’s decision to maintain the command’s headquarters in Colorado instead of moving it to Alabama. The timing coincides with expectations that former President Donald Trump will soon announce a relocation.
SPACECOM has operated from Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado Springs since its formation in 2019. However, the search for a permanent headquarters has sparked ongoing political debates, particularly after President Biden overturned Trump’s decision to establish the command in Huntsville, Alabama.
Between June 2022 and June 2023, the Air Force conducted four evaluations that consistently favored Redstone Arsenal in Alabama as the ideal location. The report revealed that moving the command to Alabama would incur a one-time cost that is $426 million lower than maintaining operations in Colorado, primarily due to lower personnel and construction expenses. These conclusions echo earlier findings from both the DOD inspector general and the Government Accountability Office, which also endorsed the move to Alabama.
Despite the favorable assessments, officials within SPACECOM expressed reservations. Former commander Gen. Jim Dickinson advised Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall against relocating the command, citing concerns over the willingness of the command’s 1,000 civilian employees, contractors, and reservists to make the move to Alabama. Furthermore, SPACECOM’s leadership feared that a significant loss of personnel would hinder the command’s operational readiness. The report further indicated that constructing necessary facilities at Redstone would require an estimated three to four years.
Notably, the inspector general’s report highlighted that key figures like Secretary Kendall and former Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin were not interviewed during the investigation, due to objections regarding the presence of legal counsel during those discussions. This absence of input from high-ranking officials raised questions about the decision-making process concerning the command’s permanent location.
The report stated, “Without interviewing the SECAF, we could not determine why he did not use the authority delegated to him by the SECDEF to make and announce a final decision on the permanent location of USSPACECOM HQ.”
In reaction to the report’s findings, Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., issued a statement asserting that the evidence supports Huntsville as the rightful home for SPACECOM’s headquarters. Rogers, who chairs the House Armed Services Committee, criticized the alleged political maneuvering that he claims sidelined Air Force and defense leadership in favor of Colorado.
“After years of promises about ‘due diligence’ and ‘careful consideration,’ political employees at the White House cut out the Air Force and senior defense leaders to select Colorado over Alabama as the site for SPACECOM headquarters,” he remarked.
The ongoing discussion surrounding SPACECOM’s location has led to a freeze on funding for the construction of its headquarters, as stipulated in the 2024 defense policy bill, pending the completion of the inspector general’s investigation and a review by the Government Accountability Office.
Rogers also indicated that an announcement from Trump regarding the relocation could be imminent, claiming, “I expect sometime during the month of April, Space Command will be officially assigned to build its headquarters in Huntsville.”
In the meantime, a coalition of lawmakers from Colorado has reached out with a letter to Trump, advocating for SPACECOM to stay in Colorado Springs. They argue that moving the command would bring unnecessary risks, disrupt established operations, and waste valuable resources.
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