NorthCom Officially Coming To Springs -- Command will find home at Peterson

Colorado Springs Gazette | July 2, 2002 | John Diedrich

[Stand Watch Listen]

It's official. Northern Command is coming to Colorado Springs, with the first staff arriving next month. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld signed an environmental study Friday, clearing the way for the command to be placed at Peterson Air Force Base east of Colorado Springs, Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Mike Halbig said Monday. Operations are scheduled to begin Oct. 1.

Prompted by the Sept. 11 attacks, the Pentagon decided to create a single homeland defense command in charge of protecting America's land, sea and air. An official announcement is expected within a week. Congress is preparing to give the military $18 million from this year's budget to cover the command's start-up costs, said Sean Conway, spokesman for U.S. Sen. Wayne Allard, R-Colo., who was informed of the news Monday.

In mid-April, the Pentagon said Peterson was the preferred site for Northern Command, pending an environmental study. The study, finished in early June, found no significant impact to putting the command, with its 500 to 1,000 workers, in the Springs.

Air Force Gen. Ed Eberhart, commander of North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Space Command, was confirmed last week by the Senate to be the head of Northern Command and NORAD.

"It is nice to see these details fall into place," said Maj. Mike Snyder, spokesman for U.S. Space Command. "These are just two of the important details that will allow the subordinate details to be done."

Planning has begun for the command, Snyder said. Officials are considering missions, staffing, facilities and coordination with other agencies.

"You are building an organization from the ground up," he said. "It is a comprehensive and exhaustive process not often encountered."

[TADSLOS]

Good luck in finding affordable housing.

[bruin66]

Good luck in finding affordable housing.

There're always double-wides in Falcon...