Alabama and Colorado Clash Over IG Report on Space Command Headquarters

A political standoff intensifies between Colorado and Alabama over the permanent location of the U.S. Space Force Command center.

Airman 1st Class Dianne Rivera stands in front of Space Base Delta 1's headquarters at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colo., on May 17, 2023. Emily Peacock/U.S. Air Force

A newly released Pentagon watchdog report has renewed the divide between Alabama and Colorado officials over the long-disputed basing decision for the U.S. Space Command, with both states claiming that the findings support their case.

In Alabama, Republican Gov. Kay Ivey signed a bipartisan resolution this week urging President Donald Trump to finalize the move to Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville.

Meanwhile, members of Colorado’s congressional delegation—Democrats and Republicans—issued statements arguing that the same report justifies keeping the command of the United States Space Force in Colorado Springs, where it has operated since 2019.

“Today’s report from the Department of Defense Inspector General confirms what we have long known: keeping U.S. Space Command in Colorado is the best decision to protect America’s national security,” read a joint statement from Colorado’s Democratic delegation, including Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper and Rep. Jason Crow.

They pointed to the command’s declaration of full operational capability in December 2023 and warned that any relocation would “threaten our military readiness, cost years of valuable time and resources, and result in an irreversible loss of personnel and expertise.”

The same day, Colorado’s Republican House members echoed that view, citing concerns about the effect on civilian staff and the risk of disrupting national security infrastructure already in place.

Rep. Jeff Crank, joined by Reps. Lauren Boebert, Jeff Hurd, and Gabe Evans, said: “Today’s release of the ... report confirmed what has been recognized for a long time: If moved, the loss of Space Command’s civilian personnel will significantly impact the full operational capability during a time when our foreign adversaries pose a real risk to our national security. We cannot afford to move backwards during such a critical time.”

In contrast, Alabama leaders argue that the April 11 report, which was made public on April 15, from the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General (IG) validates their claim that Huntsville was the Department of the Air Force’s top choice and should host the permanent headquarters.

“The United States Air Force’s Strategic Basing Action process complied with the law and policy and was justified in identifying Huntsville as the preferred permanent location,” the report states. Ivey called the move a bipartisan affirmation that “the U.S. Space Command Headquarters belongs in Huntsville.”

The 54-page IG report—released with significant redactions—found that Redstone Arsenal remained the Air Force’s preferred site throughout its internal review process, citing cost savings, a qualified workforce, and favorable risk assessments. The Department of the Air Force completed its required environmental review in 2022, but never publicly finalized its decision.

However, the IG also detailed strong concerns raised by Space Command leadership that a relocation could cause the loss of up to 90 percent of key civilian directorate staff. Those fears, the report said, appeared to weigh heavily in the decision to remain in Colorado, which was formally announced by President Joe Biden in July 2023.

“Mission success is highly dependent on human capital and infrastructure,” the commander wrote in a memo cited by the IG. While the Air Force believed these risks could be mitigated with phased relocation and hiring, the report concluded that no formal documentation explained why the decision process was left unresolved by the Air Force secretary.

The IG also reported that Redstone would not be ready to house the command for three to four years. While the Air Force said it considered that timeline manageable, U.S. Space Command leadership warned that the delay could degrade operational capability.

The rift between Colorado and Alabama over the future of the command dates back to January 2021 at the end of President Trump’s first term, when Redstone Arsenal was first identified as the preferred site. Biden’s 2023 decision reversed that course, and Congress later placed a hold on new construction for either site.

Now, with both states citing the same report to bolster their arguments, the issue remains unresolved.

“We’ll continue to fight to protect America’s national security interests by keeping the U.S. Space Command in Colorado,” said the Colorado Democratic delegation, which included Reps. Diana DeGette, Brittany Pettersen, and Joe Neguse.

Alabama officials, meanwhile, say the matter is about following the facts and completing a siting process they believe was prematurely derailed.

Investigators also noted that the Pentagon declined to allow the IG to interview then-Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin without the presence of department legal counsel.

The report said the IG could not determine why Kendall did not announce a final decision to move the headquarters after the environmental assessment was completed in 2022.

House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, a Republican from Alabama, said in a recent interview with podcast Cyber Focus from The McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure Security, that he expects Trump to formally approve the move to Huntsville once a new Air Force secretary is confirmed, likely in late April.