{"id":30445,"date":"2020-03-05T03:12:19","date_gmt":"2020-03-05T03:12:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2020\/03\/05\/the-pentagon-has-relaunched-its-space-command-location-search-heres-why\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T22:29:36","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T22:29:36","slug":"the-pentagon-has-relaunched-its-space-command-location-search-heres-why","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/space\/2020\/03\/05\/the-pentagon-has-relaunched-its-space-command-location-search-heres-why\/","title":{"rendered":"The Pentagon has relaunched its Space Command location search. Here\u2019s why."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2014 The future location of U.S. Space Command<\/a>, and all its associated jobs and dollars, won\u2019t be coming before the November election, thanks to a directive by Secretary of Defense Mark Esper to relaunch the department\u2019s search process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Tuesday, Space Force Vice Commander Lt. Gen. David Thompson<\/a> told the House Armed Services Committee that department leaders are \u201cgoing to take a holistic look at all of the potential options, all the potential locations” being considered for the combatant command<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been directed to go back, open up the aperture, and look at all of them. And so, that includes \u2014 that include bases. It includes perhaps some nontraditional locations. We will absolutely establish the criteria we need for each of these organizations and then base them accordingly,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And on Wednesday, Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett<\/a> confirmed that the Air Force would be restarting the national competition for Space Command\u2019s location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re going to reopen the process, and put forward criteria in detail and invite all who think they have a good shot at it to come and represent their communities for that possible basing choice,\u201d the secretary said. Barrett added that an announcement on the new competition would come \u201cthis spring.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those comments led to a pointed line of questioning to Esper from Sen. Doug Jones, D-Ala., who during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing directly asked if the decision to recompete was tied up in electoral politics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thompson testified that \u201cthe Air Force was directed \u2014 and I emphasize the word \u2018directed\u2019 \u2014 to go back and open this up,” Jones said. “A cynical person in today\u2019s world would think there are some electoral politics coming into play in this.\u201d He then pointedly asked if the decision came from the White House.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A leaked 2019 memo of potential bases listed four locations in Colorado \u2014 Buckley Air Force Base, Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station, Peterson Air Force Base and Schriever Air Force Base \u2014 as well as the Army\u2019s Redstone Arsenal in Alabama and Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. There has been heavy political push from the Florida delegation as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Awarding Space Command and its myriad of jobs could benefit politicians running in a swing state such as Colorado or Florida; Jones, a surprise winner in a 2017 special election, is a top target for Republicans in November\u2019s election and could potentially benefit should the award go to his native Alabama.<\/p>\n\n\n\t