Dale Strong on Space Command headquarters move: “It’s time to move dirt”
WASHINGTON— Today, Representative Dale W. Strong applauded President Trump’s announcement to permanently move U.S. Space Command Headquarters to Huntsville, Alabama:
“I join all of Alabama in welcoming Space Command to our great state. I’ve said all along that basing the Headquarters in Huntsville is not a political decision; it’s a national security one. North Alabama has long been the linchpin of defending our interests at home and abroad, and we are prepared to now do our part in defending American interests in space.
“It’s been rewarding to play a role in every step of this process and to ensure that Space Command’s Headquarters rightfully resides in the most capable and best-equipped community – which has been proven time and again to be Redstone Arsenal.
“I want to thank President Trump and Secretary Hegseth for their commitment to doing what is best for the security and future of our nation, and I remain grateful for the unified support of the entire Alabama delegation along the way. I am excited for all that is to come, and now – it’s time to move dirt.”
The U.S. Space Command (USSPACECOM) was reestablished in the FY2019 NDAA as a Department of Defense combatant command that manages military operations to, from, and through space.
Congressman Strong served as Chairman of the Madison County Commission during the USSPACECOM headquarters site selection process and played a key role supporting the State of Alabama’s nomination of Redstone Arsenal and throughout the U.S. Air Force’s Strategic Basing Action process.
Throughout a months-long evaluation and selection process, Redstone Arsenal consistently ranked as the top location for the headquarters based on site visits, questionnaires, and the assessment of 21 mission-critical criteria. North Alabama’s qualified workforce, costs to the Department of Defense, strong infrastructure capacity, community support, and superior school systems were all key reasons for its selection.
On January 13, 2021, the Secretary of the Air Force announced that Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, was the preferred location for the U.S. Space Command Headquarters.
Immediately following this announcement, members of Congress representing lower-ranked site locations urged for an immediate reversal of the basing decision and formally requested investigations into the Strategic Basing Action by the Department of Defense Inspector General (DoDIG) and the Government Accountability Office (GAO). By May 2022, both reports had been released and confirmed that the Air Force was reasonable in selecting Redstone Arsenal to host USSPACECOM headquarters.
Despite these findings, in July of 2023, President Biden announced that USSPACECOM headquarters would remain at its provisional headquarters at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Given the lack of evidence supporting the Biden administration’s decision to allow USSPACECOM Headquarters to remain at the fifth-best site, Congressman Strong urged House Armed Services Committee (HASC) Chairman Mike Rogers to investigate the seemingly blatant political interference.
HASC’s investigation consisted of multiple transcribed interviews with the Secretary of the Air Force and USSPACECOM Commander, as well as a full committee hearing to examine irregularities in the strategic basing process in September 2023.
Subsequently, the Alabama delegation was successful in championing a provision included in the FY2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to halt funding to support military construction or additional leased facilities for the provisional headquarters until the DoDIG and GAO investigations were complete.
In April 2025, the DoDIG report was publicly released and made clear that the Biden administration’s decision was driven by political preferences and, again, reiterated that Redstone Arsenal had been selected meritoriously as the top location for USSPACECOM.
