Space Command HQ Will Stay in Colorado as Biden Defies Trump Decision

Weeks before departing the White House, Trump announced the headquarters would move to Huntsville, Alabama.

Jack Daleo

Tuesday, August 01, 2023 at 12:58 PM ET

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U.S. Space Command's now-permanent headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colorado. [Courtesy: DVIDS]

Key Takeaways:

The Biden administration has decided to permanently base the U.S. Space Command headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colorado, reversing a Trump-era decision to move it to Huntsville, Alabama.
The decision was reportedly based on ensuring "peak readiness" and stability for U.S. space operations, with Space Command commander General James Dickinson arguing that moving would jeopardize military readiness.
This reversal has sparked significant political controversy, with Alabama Republicans claiming it's an act of "blatant patronage politics" and that national security was disregarded.
Conversely, Colorado officials and supporters of the decision assert it restores integrity to the Pentagon's basing process by prioritizing national security and military readiness over political considerations.

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Presidents, politicians, and officials on either side of the aisle have debated where the U.S. Space Command should be based for years. But after all that deliberation, the headquarters is staying put.

On Monday, Pentagon press secretary Brigadier General Patrick Ryder announced the Biden administration’s decision to make Colorado Springs, Colorado—where the department has been based temporarily since its reestablishment in 2019—Space Command’s permanent headquarters. The selection undoes a last-minute Donald Trump-era declaration that would have moved it to Huntsville, Alabama.