On Tuesday, the Department of Defense (DoD) Office of Inspector General (IG) released its report confirming that Redstone Arsenal is the best place for Space Command Headquarters (SPACECOM HQ).
The IG's report stated that the decision by then-Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett to place SPACECOM HQ in Huntsville was “reasonable” and the process “complied with law and policy.” Sens. Richard Shelby (R-Alabama) and Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) as well as Congressman Mo Brooks (R-AL05) welcomed the news.
“This is good news and reaffirms what I have already known to be true: that the Air Force selected Huntsville based on merit and that Huntsville is the best place for Space Command to call home,” said Shelby.
The IG Report states:
“Overall, we determined that the 2020 Basing Action directed by the SECDEF complied with Federal Law and DoD policy and that the Basing Action process was reasonable. . . . Our report describes in detail the actions taken by Air Force officials to select Huntsville, Alabama, as the preferred permanent location for the USSPACECOM HQ. We determined that the 2020 Basing Action process was reasonable in identifying Huntsville, Alabama, as the preferred permanent location to host the USSPACECOM HQ.”
A number of Colorado Senators and Congressmen had challenged the decision by the Trump Administration and called for the Biden Administration to reverse the decision which they claimed was politically motivated.
Tuesday’s report by the IG’s office strengthens the arguments of Alabama officials that the decision was legitimate, and that politics did not play an oversized role in the process by which the Pentagon selected Huntsville as the new site for Space Command.
“The selection of Redstone Arsenal is a testament to Alabama and the Tennessee Valley’s space and defense ecosystem—which currently hosts the Army’s Space and Missile Defense Command, Army Strategic Forces Command, Army Aviation and Missile Command, the Defense Intelligence Agency’s Missile and Space Intelligence Center, Missile Defense Agency operations, and NASA Marshall Space Flight Center," said Brooks. "The U.S. Air Force has been very clear from the beginning that this basing decision was merit-based, and the DoD IG report confirmed this decision was made properly and in the interest of America’s national security.
“The road to Space Force runs through Alabama and the Tennessee Valley. It is in the best interest of our national security for Redstone Arsenal to host SPACECOM HQ. I welcome the findings of this report and will continue to do all I can to ensure this decision holds. This IG Report is yet another major victory for Redstone Arsenal, the Tennessee Valley, and all of Alabama.”
“The bottom line of the report is that the Air Force’s process which led to the selection of Redstone as the best home for SPACECOM was rock solid,” Tuberville said. “For more than a year the IG conducted an audit of the Air Force’s work. I’m pleased that, after this extensive evaluation, the IG confirmed that the basing process complied with the law and that the decision was based on objective factors. The prior administration followed the rules to make the best decision for the warfighter: SPACECOM should be in Huntsville.”
To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandon.moseley@1819News.com.
Don’t miss out! Subscribe to our newsletter and get our top stories every weekday morning.
