Mayor Tommy Battle welcomed Gen. Stephen Whiting, Commander of U.S. Space Command (USSPACECOM), to Huntsville on September 8. The visit marks an important step as the city and Redstone Arsenal begin the formal transition to host Space Command’s permanent headquarters.

Mayor Battle and Gen. Whiting previously met in Colorado Springs, but this visit marked Whiting’s first visit to City Hall. Mayor Battle emphasized Huntsville’s strong relationship with Redstone as well as regional collaboration.

“We are honored to welcome Gen. Whiting to Huntsville,” Mayor Battle said. “This is an exciting moment for our city, but more importantly, it’s about ensuring the security of our nation. We look forward to working closely with Gen. Whiting and the entire Space Command team as they relocate to Redstone Arsenal.”

Whiting expressed Space Command’s enthusiasm for becoming part of the Huntsville community and said they are excited to partner with local leaders and Redstone.

“North Alabama has been very welcoming, and we’re thrilled to be here on the ground,” Whiting said. “Our job right now is to figure out how expeditiously, in a professional and disciplined manner, we can start to make the move that the President has directed, all while continuing our vital national security missions, which is to defend American interests in space.”

Whiting said this iteration of Space Command is just over six years old. Its mission is to evaluate and plan for how the U.S. can use its space capabilities to make America stronger and to defend the United States’ interests and its citizens.

Mayor Battle said, “We’re part of something a lot bigger than just Huntsville or Alabama. We’re part of something that protects and defends our country. We, as a community, have been doing that for a long time. We take that mission very seriously.”