Lawmakers Intensify Pressure on New Air Force Secretary Amid Battle Over Space Command Headquarters Location

The debate over the permanent home for the U.S. Space Command headquarters remains heated, years after an initial decision under President Trump selected Huntsville, Alabama, as its future location. The political wrangling has only intensified with the confirmation of Troy Meink as the new Air Force Secretary, who now faces strong lobbying efforts from both Colorado and Alabama lawmakers.

Colorado Republicans have recently urged the president to reconsider any move from Colorado Springs, which currently hosts Space Command at Peterson Space Force Base. Rep. Jeff Crank, representing the district, highlighted the substantial investments already made in Colorado and argued that leaving the headquarters there could yield more than $2 billion in savings for taxpayers by avoiding the construction costs of a new facility.

“From a financial and operational standpoint, keeping Space Command in Colorado makes sense,” said Crank. He also emphasized the strategic advantages, pointing out that Colorado is already home to Northern Command, ensuring seamless cooperation—particularly vital as the military ramps up the new Golden Dome missile defense project.

Alabama lawmakers, on the other hand, insist the decision to relocate to Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville should stand. House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers noted he had already discussed the matter with Secretary Meink, expressing confidence that the Air Force would support Huntsville as the site of the new headquarters. “Alabama won fair and square,” Rogers stated. “They lost two nationwide competitions. It's not me saying it should be in Huntsville.”

Rogers downplayed Colorado’s concerns, arguing that the current setup is fragmented, with operations spread across multiple buildings—some outside the secure facility perimeter and none originally built for classified work. He cited a Defense Department inspector general (IG) report that supported the move, stating that building in Alabama could save $462 million.

The IG report, however, also highlighted internal disagreement. While former Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall favored the move to Alabama for cost reasons, then-SPACECOM Commander Gen. James Dickinson pushed to remain in Colorado due to operational readiness and worries about losing highly trained civilian personnel, many of whom might leave rather than transfer to Alabama. According to the report, this loss could undermine the command’s effectiveness and delay full operational capability.

Crank disputed the IG findings, arguing that the projected savings from the Alabama move rely on the faulty assumption that Colorado would require a new headquarters building. “There is one there already,” he said, claiming the actual cost to taxpayers of moving would be far higher than reported.

The inspector general’s investigation found that after the environmental assessment for the Huntsville site was completed in September 2022, no formal decision was announced. In the absence of such a decision, Space Command declared full operational capability in Colorado.

Opposition to the move comes from several Colorado lawmakers, including Reps. Lauren Boebert, Gabe Evans, and Jeff Hurd, who wrote to the president warning that relocating would disrupt established capabilities and partnerships, diminishing readiness.

Despite the ongoing back-and-forth, Rogers remains confident the headquarters will ultimately relocate to Huntsville. “There’s absolutely no national security implications for moving it," he insisted. "It needs to be in a permanent headquarters, and it needs to be inside the fence. All that's going to happen in Huntsville."

As pressure mounts on Secretary Meink to make a decision, the fate of the Space Command headquarters continues to hang in the balance, with billions of dollars, military readiness, and regional pride all at stake.