WASHINGTON (AP) — The Air Force announced Wednesday the permanent locations for many more U.S. Space Force units, and none of them are in Huntsville, Ala., suggesting the service could move forward with at least some of the design he originally sought for the new force before becoming entangled in politics.
Four more Space Forces missions will now be based in Colorado Springs, a notable choice during a larger and now politicized battle over where to locate the permanent headquarters of the US Space Command. Colorado Springs, which houses the temporary headquarters of the Space Command, was the Air Force’s preferred location, but Donald Trump, in the final days of his presidency, chose Alabama.
Although the Pentagon and the White House have said the decisions are not directly related, Alabama has strict anti-abortion laws, and its Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville earlier this year announced he would hold all military nominations until the Department of Defense overrules a new policy. this would allow female service members to be reimbursed for travel expenses if they must go out of state for reproductive care.
Tuberville’s office was not immediately available for comment Wednesday evening.
The Space Force announcement came as President Joe Biden headed to Colorado Springs to speak during Thursday’s graduation ceremony at the nearby US Air Force Academy.
Colorado Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet said he will use the president’s visit as another opportunity to push for the command.
“As President Biden and his administration near a final basing decision for the Space Command, we urge them to restore the integrity of this process and make a decision in the interest of our national security: keep the command space in Colorado Springs,” his office said. in a statement.
Meanwhile, the Air Force has been moving forward with a full dig in Colorado Springs, where more than 20 of the military’s space missions are now based. The Air Force Academy now has a space curriculum and graduates Space Force Guardians along with its Air Force cadets.
“Colorado Springs continues to prove itself as the premier location for our nation’s space defense operations,” Colorado Republican Rep. Doug Lamborn said in a statement announcing the selection.
The Space Force, founded in December 2019, is the smallest of the military branches, with just under 8,400 people. But it has seen its budget rise rapidly as the US has struggled to defend against a rapid militarization of space, including North Korea’s failed launch on Wednesday of a ballistic missile believed to carry a spy satellite.
The four new missions in Colorado Springs include Delta 15, a headquarters unit for the service’s Space Operations Command; Space Delta 12, a test and evaluation unit; and two surveillance squadrons.
Other locations announced Wednesday as new permanent homes for Space Force missions are in Florida and New Mexico.
