Gov. Kay Ivey: Alabama committed âin every wayâ to Space Command HQ victory
Gov. Kay Ivey on Tuesday tweeted stronger support for Alabama’s claim on the permanent headquarters of the U.S. Space Command.
Alabama is “in every way … staunchly committed to seeing this mission through,” Ivey said about the state’s fight to prevent Pentagon changes that could support keeping the command headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colo. She said, ‘Alabama is the only rightful home for Space Command Headquarters, and supporting this mission is critical to the advancement of our national security.’
The tweet is the latest example of Ivey’s passion about the headquarters decision. On May 19, an AL.com report said she “almost shouted from the podium ‘Alabama is the only choice for Space Command headquarters” at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center.
Alabama won the formal ranking of potential headquarters’ candidates the Pentagon completed in 2021. But Colorado challenged that decision after former President Trump said later that he “single-handedly” decided to move the command to Alabama.
Alabama Congressman Mike Rogers, who chairs the House Armed Services Committee, announced a committee investigation last week into “continued delays” in the headquarters decision. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said his office is also reviewing how the base decision process got here.
Rogers called on Space Command to “cease and desist from any action that implicates taxpayer funds in a scheme to alter the mission or headquarters requirements of SPACECOM without civilian order or oversight.”
Altered “mission or headquarters requirements” was a reference to Kendall’s testimony before Rogers’ committee earlier this month. Kendall said the Air Force was doing “additional analysis” in part because changes in staffing could mean the startup Colorado Springs headquarters building could accommodate key command personnel requiring no new building and meaning a savings for the government.
“Secretary Kendall told Alabama’s bipartisan delegation this week that ‘fundamental changes’ were being made to Space Command’s basing requirements — yet he isn’t the one making the changes, and he’s unaware of who is making the changes,” Republican Alabama U.S. Sen. Katie Britt tweeted afterward. “What’s clear is that this basing decision is being stolen from the Air Force behind the American people’s backs. We deserve answers and we’re going to keep fighting until we have them.”
Kendall told Rogers’ committee that he has started his own investigation into the irregularities around the headquarters.
“Last week, our bipartisan Alabama delegation brought to light concerning details regarding the permanency of Space Command Headquarters,” Ivey said in her latest tweet. “On what dimension would we not have a permanent headquarters for a major arm or our national security?”