Air Force Picks Colorado for More Space Force Missions as Politics Loom Over Headquarters Choice

June 1, 2023by Tara Copp, Associated Press
Air Force Picks Colorado for More Space Force Missions as Politics Loom Over Headquarters Choice
President Joe Biden speaks with guests on the tarmac as he arrives at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colo., Wednesday, May 31, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Air Force announced the permanent location for many more U.S. Space Force units Wednesday — and none of them are in Huntsville, Alabama, suggesting the service may be moving ahead with at least part of the design it originally sought for the new force before it became entangled in politics.

Four more Space Force missions will now be based in Colorado Springs, a notable choice during a larger and now politicized battle over where to locate the permanent headquarters of U.S. Space Command. Colorado Springs, which is housing Space Command’s temporary headquarters, was the Air Force’s preferred location, but Donald Trump, in the final days of his presidency, selected Alabama instead.

While the Pentagon and White House have said the decisions are not directly linked, Alabama has strict anti-abortion laws, and its Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville earlier this year announced he would hold up all military nominations until the Department of Defense rescinds a new policy that would allow female service members to be reimbursed for travel costs if they have to go out of state for reproductive care.

Tuberville’s office was not immediately available for comment Wednesday evening.

The Space Force announcement came as President Joe Biden left for Colorado Springs to speak during Thursday’s commencement ceremony at the nearby U.S. Air Force Academy.

Colorado Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet said he’ll be using the president’s visit as another opportunity to press for the command.

“As President Biden and his administration near a final basing decision for Space Command, we urge them to restore the integrity of this process and make a decision in the interest of our national security — to keep Space Command in Colorado Springs,” his office said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the Air Force has been moving forward with getting fully dug in at Colorado Springs, where more than 20 of the military’s space missions are now based. The Air Force Academy now has a space curriculum and graduates Space Force Guardians alongside its Air Force cadets.

“Colorado Springs continues to prove itself as the premier location for our nation’s space defense operations,” Colorado Republican Rep. Doug Lamborn said in a statement announcing the selection.

The Space Force, founded in December 2019, is the smallest of the military branches, with just under 8,400 personnel. But it has seen its budget rapidly rise as the U.S. has scrambled to defend against a rapid militarization of space, such as North Korea’s failed Wednesday launch of a ballistic missile believed to be carrying a spy satellite.

The four new missions in Colorado Springs include Delta 15, a headquarters unit for the service’s space operations command; Space Delta 12, a test and evaluation unit; and two surveillance squadrons.

Other locations announced Wednesday as new permanent homes for Space Force missions are in Florida and New Mexico.


A+
a-
  • Space Force
  • In The News

    Health

    Voting

    Military

    Hundreds of Military Promotions on Hold as a Senator Demands End to Abortion Policy

    WASHINGTON (AP) — Top defense officials are accusing Republican Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville of jeopardizing America's national security with his hold on roughly... Read More

    WASHINGTON (AP) — Top defense officials are accusing Republican Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville of jeopardizing America's national security with his hold on roughly 300 military promotions, raising the stakes in a clash over abortion policy that shows no signs of easing. Tuberville brushed off the criticism, vowing he will... Read More

    August 25, 2023
    by Tom Ramstack
    Lawmakers Assure Pacific Island Leaders US Will Help Them Stand Up to China

    WASHINGTON — Pacific island political leaders advised a congressional committee Thursday that China’s threat to them and the United States... Read More

    WASHINGTON — Pacific island political leaders advised a congressional committee Thursday that China’s threat to them and the United States is growing as its military prepares for a possible invasion of Taiwan. Guam, Micronesia and the Marshall Islands could reemerge as a focal point of conflict,... Read More

    Pentagon Review Calls for Reforms to Reverse Spike in Sexual Misconduct at Military Academies

    WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military academies must improve their leadership, stop toxic practices such as hazing and shift behavior... Read More

    WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military academies must improve their leadership, stop toxic practices such as hazing and shift behavior training into the classrooms, according to a Pentagon study aimed at addressing an alarming spike in sexual assaults and misconduct. U.S. officials said the academies must train... Read More

    July 20, 2023
    by Dan McCue
    Moylan Highlights Guam’s Military Importance for US in the Pacific

    WASHINGTON — As Americans, “the West” has often played a role in our history and national psyche. “Go West, young... Read More

    WASHINGTON — As Americans, “the West” has often played a role in our history and national psyche. “Go West, young man,” the newspaper editor Horace Greeley wrote in the New York Daily Tribune on July 13, 1865. Though he may not have been the first to... Read More

    June 12, 2023
    by Kate Michael
    First Lady Commemorates Women’s Armed Services Integration Act 

    WASHINGTON — First Lady Dr. Jill Biden and Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, were among those in attendance to honor America’s... Read More

    WASHINGTON — First Lady Dr. Jill Biden and Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, were among those in attendance to honor America’s women veterans and recognize 75 years of women’s integration into the U.S. Armed Forces at a “Women Veterans Recognition Day” event at the Military Women’s Memorial... Read More

    Biden Heads to North Carolina to Push Clean Energy Agenda and Promote Order Aiding Military Spouses

    WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Friday will sign an executive order that aims to bolster job opportunities for military and... Read More

    WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Friday will sign an executive order that aims to bolster job opportunities for military and veteran spouses whose careers are often disrupted by their loved ones' deployments. Biden is using a visit to the recently renamed Fort Liberty in North Carolina to highlight... Read More

    News From The Well
    scroll top