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SPACECOM basing in limbo as heated HASC hearing resolves nothing
Breaking Defense ^ | September 28, 2023 at 5:05 PM | Theresa Hitchens

Posted on 09/29/2023 4:27:33 AM PDT by Fish Speaker

WASHINGTON — The years-long dispute between lawmakers from Alabama and Colorado over the location of US Space Command’s permanent headquarters erupted today during a House Armed Services Committee hearing, stoked in part by political attacks on President Joe Biden over his choice of Colorado Springs — leaving the final result, and the some 1,000 personnel involved, in limbo.

Biden’s move in July overturned former President Donald Trump’s January 2021 decision by President Donald Trump to move SPACECOM HQ to Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Ala. — a decision that also became embroiled in political maneuvering at the time.

HASC Chair Rep. Mike Rogers, R.-Ala., at the conclusion of today’s hearing made clear that he will continue to block any effort to make Peterson SFB in Colorado Springs ready to support the command’s permanent home, pending additional investigation, including a new one he said he’ll request from the Pentagon.

“I’m going to ask the Inspector General for the Department of Defense to investigate this. In the meantime, I intend to work to make sure that no funds are authorized or expended… in Colorado Springs for the building of a permanent headquarters,” he said.

(Excerpt) Read more at breakingdefense.com ...


TOPICS: Government; US: Alabama; US: Colorado
KEYWORDS: dickinson; hq; kendall; spacecom
Amid the political clash and a lawmaker's call for yet another investigation, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall revealed that he and SPACECOM leader Gen. Jim Dickinson also disagreed over where the new HQ should be.

The problem seems to be the civilian component, with 60% of SPACECOM comprised of civilians who can't be ordered to pick up and move to a new location.

1 posted on 09/29/2023 4:27:33 AM PDT by Fish Speaker
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To: Fish Speaker

I was the Senior IMA to the Staff Judge Advocate of AFSPC for 4 years. Peterson is the center of Air Force space activities and has been for years. Seems to me it’s up to the people wanting to move to prove that there’s a reason to uproot all those civilians and abandon the current infrastructure.


2 posted on 09/29/2023 4:50:15 AM PDT by jagusafr ( )
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To: jagusafr

“Peterson is the center of Air Force space activities and has been for years”

Without question, between Peterson and Schriever SFB (Falcon), they dominate space.


3 posted on 09/29/2023 5:02:09 AM PDT by CodeToad (Arm Up! They Have!)
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To: jagusafr

Huntsville is MORE than capable of filling those positions. We go to space camp every summer. That place has EXPLODED with lots of new companies and people moving in. Colorado is full of hippies that smoke dope and don’t want to work.


4 posted on 09/29/2023 5:05:03 AM PDT by DCBryan1 (Das dicke Ende kommt noch!)
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To: Fish Speaker
The years-long dispute between lawmakers from Alabama and Colorado over the location of US Space Command’s permanent headquarters erupted today during a House Armed Services Committee hearing, stoked in part by political attacks on President Joe Biden over his choice of Colorado Springs — leaving the final result, and the some 1,000 personnel involved, in limbo.

Colorado must have promised The Big Guy something. 10% kickbacks from the Exchange and Commissary revenue?

5 posted on 09/29/2023 5:08:35 AM PDT by COBOL2Java ("Life without liberty is like a body without spirit." - Kahlil Gibran)
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To: Fish Speaker

I’m delighted with this impasse. Objectivity in our government is a demonic charade.


6 posted on 09/29/2023 5:15:20 AM PDT by Theophilus (It's far easier to rig a jury than an election)
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To: DCBryan1

“Huntsville is MORE than capable of filling those positions. Colorado is full of hippies that smoke dope and don’t want to work.”

I agree with both. I don’t know if national security is still a consideration for the military now that our weapons are being shown to be ‘so-so’ in Ukraine and the Russians have already taken samples of most of them on the battlefields there.

However, if anyone does still care, they’ll find the civilians in Alabama MUCH MORE CAPABLE of protecting our few remaining national security secrets than the Leftist druggies in Colorado.


7 posted on 09/29/2023 5:47:16 AM PDT by BobL (I own an F150 so that I can tow my boat all day Saturday and look Manly)
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To: BobL

I really don’t want it in Huntsville. The traffic is already terrible, our roads are not ready for another large influx. We have enough people here that think they can fix Bama. We are getting a bunch of FBI idiots soon. Last thing we need is those idiots with guns and badges on our roads and neighborhoods.


8 posted on 09/29/2023 6:05:38 AM PDT by wgmalabama (Censored !)
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To: Fish Speaker

You have Star Gate command already in Colorado so it should save the taxpayers a little money just integrate the two


9 posted on 09/29/2023 6:44:35 AM PDT by wild74
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To: Fish Speaker

In other news, If the Government shuts down on Oct.1 that means that the FAA is no longer authorized as well as other agencies. Does that enable Spaceship 2 to launch from Boca Chica?

On October 2 the FAA would have no authority to prevent a launch including the Fish and Game agency therefore SpaceX could fuel it up and launch Spaceship 2.

Go for it!


10 posted on 09/29/2023 6:57:28 AM PDT by Colo9250 ( All Republican moderates need to go in 24)
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To: jagusafr

of course the fact that Gen. Dickhead had already bought a ranch near the Colorado location had nothing to do with his decision.


11 posted on 09/29/2023 7:52:25 AM PDT by dunblak
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To: Fish Speaker

It should be in Florida.


12 posted on 09/29/2023 9:28:52 AM PDT by Brilliant
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