As of yesterday, President Joe Biden overturned a long-time battle to move the United States Space Command (USSPACECOM) headquarters from Colorado to Huntsville, Alabama. The decision curtails the long political battle that began under the administration of former President Donald Trump.

In a recent press statement, Biden mentioned that the decision leaned heavily on the head of Space Command, Gen. James Dickinson, who stated that moving USSPACECOM headquarters “would jeopardize military readiness.” This was in direct disagreement with U.S. Air Force leadership, who argued that Huntsville was a prime location for the move.

Leadership from both the City of Huntsville and representatives from the State of Alabama shared their disappointment over the decision.

“We are deeply disappointed in the reversal of a meticulous decision-making process that selected Huntsville, Alabama for the permanent home of USSPACECOM. This community went through a lengthy selection process – twice. To have that process invalidated, and to have our selection taken away is demoralizing. It is even more disturbing that the selection is going to the community that ranked fifth in the selection process. Our systems should be better than that. The Department of Defense deserves better than that,” said City of Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle.

“No matter where USSPACECOM resides, Huntsville will move forward and continue to be a good neighbor with our national military partners,” Mayor Battle added. “We fully support our military and aerospace sectors and will work to ensure Huntsville remains a key component in furthering USSPACECOM’s mission on the national and global stage.”

Others, such as U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), expressed that leaders would continue to fight for the relocation.

“Over two and a half years ago, the Air Force chose Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville for the headquarters of Space Command over 59 other cities on the basis of 21 different criteria,” said Senator Tuberville. “The top three choices for Space Command headquarters were all in red states—Alabama, Nebraska, and Texas. Colorado didn’t even come close. This decision to bypass the three most qualified sites looks like blatant patronage politics, and it sets a dangerous precedent that military bases are now to be used as rewards for political supporters rather than for our security.”

“This is absolutely not over. I will continue to fight this as long as it takes to bring Space Command where it would be best served—Huntsville, Alabama,” concluded Representative Tuberville.

In 2021, the Air Force Basing Office concluded that Redstone was the preferred site for the
USSPACECOM HQ based on an objective assessment of the attributes of six candidate sites. Their review ranked Huntsville, AL first; Kirtland AFB second; Offutt AFB third; Joint Base San Antonio fourth; Peterson AFB fifth; and Patrick AFB was ranked sixth.

The Huntsville/Madison County Chamber also released a statement on behalf of the Tennessee Valley, citing several issues in regards to USSPACECOM’s current location. Among these issues, the Chamber mentioned the potential risks and vulnerability “created by collocating two Unified Combatant Commands (COCOMs) in a potentially vulnerable location.”

The press statement also expressed doubt regarding the short term location of the Space Command headquarters at Peterson AFB.

“Laying claim to this important Command based on where the interim headquarters is located is a disservice to the complexity of the basing decision-making process,” said the Chamber in a recent press statement.

Shortly after the decision broke news, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey expressed her disappointment on Twitter.

“The White House choosing to not locate Space Command Headquarters in Alabama – the rightful selection – is very simply the wrong decision for national security,” said Governor Ivey.

The decision comes after more than two years of evaluations, public anticipation, and political argument over the headquarters of USSPACECOM.

For more information, please visit www.spacecom.mil. To read Mayor Battle’s full statement, please visit www.huntsvilleal.gov.