Space Command HQ relocation addressed by Rep. Dale Strong

The relocation of the Space Command headquarters to Huntsville has been a hot-button issue around these parts and with the new administration of Pres. Donald Trump, the possibility of Huntsville getting the HQ has resurfaced.

Rep. Dale Strong visited Athens recently and addressed the issue with constituents.

Is Space Command coming to Huntsville?

While addressing an audience at Athens State University Monday, Strong reiterated that Huntsville is a “more than suitable” location for the Space Command headquarters.

While Strong did not say that the Space Command headquarters’ move to Huntsville was a foregone conclusion, he expressed optimism that it would happen.

Trump put the plan in motion for the move from Colorado Springs to Huntsville, but when his bid for re-election in 2020 was unsuccessful, so was the HQ relocation plan.

“Everyone knows that U.S. Space Command Headquarters should be in Huntsville, Alabama because that is best for our national security.”

Rep. Dale Strong (R-AL)

The decision by Pres. Joe Biden to keep the headquarters in Colorado — as well as Trump’s decision to move the headquarters to Alabama during his first administration— has been viewed by critics as a politically motivated move.

Either way, Strong said the wheels are in motion to bring Space Command to the Rocket City. He said Monday that the Senate has voted closure and will bring forward the Secretary of the Air Force in the next couple of weeks — who will make a recommendation to Space Command.

Strong said he is confident that the Secretary of the Air Force will back Trump’s recommendation to move the headquarters to Redstone Arsenal.

Strong is a member of the House Armed Services Committee and Subcommittees on Readiness, Strategic Forces, and Cyber, Innovative Technologies and Information Systems.

How we got here

Here’s a timeline of events that has led us to where we are now in the process:

• The Air Force originally announced its decision to move U.S. Space Command to Redstone Arsenal in January 2021. 
• The Air Force’s decision angered Colorado lawmakers and its business community, which touted Colorado Springs’s status as a longtime hub for military space operations and industry, and the current SPACECOM headquarters. They called for multiple investigations by the defense secretary, DoD inspector general and Government Accountability Office into the basing process.
• After a 15-month process that questioned the methods by which Huntsville was chosen for the new Space Command headquarters, Pentagon officials on May 2 said they found “no foul play” involved in the selection process, giving the Air Force the green light to move the SPACECOM HQ to Alabama.
• In June, the Government Accountability Office released a report stating that, while the Air Force’s process for choosing Space Command’s location was not completely up to par with recommendations, Redstone Arsenal still stands out as the top choice for Space Command HQ.
• In June 2021, the USAF announced that the environmental review found no issues with the proposed site for the new headquarters. A variety of potential impacts were studied including noise levels, transportation and natural resources.
• Pres. Joe Biden said he has been advised to overturn the decision by Trump to move the Space Command headquarters.
• Senators Britt and Tuberville, with Rep. Dale Strong, met with USSPACECOM officials in Washington to champion Huntsville.
• Tuberville, despite bipartisan urging to drop his hold-up of military nominations and promotions, reaffirms that he won’t drop the holds until there is a vote on the Pentagon abortion policy.
• Biden announces the Space Command headquarters will remain in Colorado Springs.
• Trump’s re-election renews talk of moving to Huntsville, which is now in the works

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