A new report from the Pentagon’s inspector general highlights fundamental disagreements between the Air Force and U.S. Space Command regarding the risks associated with permanently basing the command’s headquarters at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. The report, dated April 11, 2023, comes amid ongoing tension between congressional delegations in Alabama and Colorado, where Space Command is temporarily headquartered, over the long-term location of the organization.
During an April 8 podcast hosted by Auburn University’s McCrary Institute, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Ala., indicated that the Trump administration is expected to officially name Redstone as Space Command’s home base later in April. “I expect sometime during the month of April that Space Command will officially be assigned to build its headquarters in Huntsville,” Rogers stated.
In contrast, several Colorado lawmakers are advocating for the headquarters to remain at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado Springs. They recently sent a letter to President Donald Trump arguing that moving the command could disrupt readiness. Colorado representatives Jeff Crank, Lauren Boebert, Gabe Evans, and Jeff Hurd signed the letter, which asserted that the relocation would hinder established capabilities and partnerships necessary to address evolving threats.
The inspector general’s report outlines the years-long decision-making process undertaken by U.S. Space Command, the Air Force, and previous administrations to determine the best location for the command’s headquarters. Space Command has been provisionally based in Colorado since its reestablishment in 2019. In 2021, the White House announced Huntsville as its choice for the command’s headquarters, a decision that drew significant pushback from Colorado lawmakers, particularly former Rep. Doug Lamborn, R-Colo., who called the selection process “fundamentally flawed.” Following his request, the Government Accountability Office investigated the decision, supporting the legality of the Air Force’s choice despite significant concerns regarding transparency.
In July 2023, the White House announced a reversal of the initial decision, confirming that Space Command would remain in Colorado to ensure “peak readiness.” Subsequently, Chairman Rogers initiated a congressional review and called for further examination of the Pentagon’s decision-making process.
The inspector general’s report reiterated the contrasting views of Space Command and Air Force leadership regarding the risks of relocating the command and its workforce 1,200 miles away. Gen. James Dickinson, then-Space Command leader, argued that relocating would impair mission readiness, estimating that 88% of civilian personnel would decline to move to Huntsville. The report indicated that establishing operational facilities and networks in Redstone would take three to four years, raising concerns about manpower investments needed to maintain readiness.
Conversely, then-Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall supported the Huntsville move based on cost analysis, estimating a potential savings of $426 million for the Defense Department. However, while Kendall endorsed the move and signed an environmental review, he did not make a formal announcement, leaving room for the Biden administration’s eventual pivot. The report noted that neither Kendall nor former Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin agreed to be interviewed by the inspector general, limiting insights into their decision-making processes.
In response to the report, Rogers accused the Biden administration of “months of cover-ups and unanswered questions” regarding the costs of maintaining the headquarters in Colorado, calling the decision “dangerous and dishonest.” He defended the Trump administration’s decision favoring Huntsville, asserting a lack of transparency and accountability from the current administration.
Courtney Albon, the author of the report, is a space and emerging technology reporter for C4ISRNET and has been covering the U.S. military since 2012, with a focus on the Air Force and Space Force.
