The headquarters for the U.S. Space Command (SPACECOM)will remain in Colorado after a tumultuous reneging of a Trump-era decision to move the HQ to Huntsville.
Former President Donald Trump picked the Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville as the new permanent home for SPACECOM. The Arsenal has since repeatedly ranked at the top of the list of potential locations for Space Command over its current location in Colorado.
In May, NBC News reported that two unnamed U.S. officials and one official with the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) said Biden had been delaying the decision on SPACECOM due to Alabama's "restrictive" abortion laws, which went into effect June 24, 2022, following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision overturning Roe v. Wade.
Huntsville has repeatedly been ranked the number one choice for Space Command by U.S. Air Force surveys.
The report led to months-long condemnation from Alabama’s federal delegation and the heads of Alabama’s executive and legislative branches.
Last month, U.S. Rep. Dale Strong (R-Huntsville) was reportedly assured by SPACECOM commander Gen. James Dickinson that “he couldn’t envision any circumstance where he wouldn’t recommend Huntsville as the permanent SPACECOM HQ.”
On Monday, Strong reacted to the decision to keep SPACECOM in Colorado, calling the decision “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.”
He continued, “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.”
U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-Haleyville) also issued a statement on the decision, voicing his outrage.
“I am outraged 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. Huntsville was #1, Colorado Springs was #5,” Aderholt said.
U.S. Sen. Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) also criticized the decision in a statement, calling it a "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."
“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. “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," she added. "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.”
To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email craig.monger@1819news.com.
Don't miss out! Subscribe to our newsletter and get our top stories every weekday morning
