President Biden decided that the U.S. Space Command headquarters are not going to be moved from Colorado Springs, Colorado despite former President Donald Trump’s previous attempts to move the headquarters to Alabama.
Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder revealed that U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, senior military leaders, and President Biden had held consultations prior to deciding that the location of the headquarters shall remain unchanged. He added that not moving the facility will help ensure that the U.S. continues to be at “peak readiness” when it comes to space power. From the current location of the headquarters, officials are able to efficiently execute and use the military space power in a way that will allow them to defend the country’s interests while also deterring aggression.
Senior U.S. officials revealed to The Associated Press that Gen. James Dickinson, who is the head of Space Command, was integral in convincing the U.S. president that a move in the headquarters could have dire effects on the nation’s military readiness.
However, Air Force leadership had not agreed with Dickinson’s view and had instead claimed that moving to Huntsville, Alabama was the correct decision. President Biden sided with Dickinson in this, claiming that not moving the headquarters could help the country avoid any disruptions in the military readiness of the country. Biden is also said to support the idea that maintaining stability is going to be key for helping the military be better prepared to respond in space over the next decade.
The command which was created in August 2019 was only meant to be temporarily based in Colorado, however, Air Force and Space Force leaders have maintained that the command should continue to be there.
