Alabama Congressman Dale Strong Demands Air Force Secretary, Space Command Commander Appear Before HASC

Below is a press release from Alabama Congressman Doug Strong.

Representative Dale W. Strong (AL-05) sent a letter to House Armed Services Committee (HASC) Chairman Mike Rogers (AL-03) expressing his outrage over the recent announcement regarding U.S. Space Command (USSPACECOM) headquarters.  

“I find it unbelievable that anyone, upon reviewing the reasoning for the initial headquarters decision which was supported by investigations conducted by the Government Accountability Office and the Department of Defense Inspector General, would willingly choose the fifth-place ranked location of Petersen Space Force Base in Colorado Springs, CO, over the first-place ranked location of Redstone Arsenal,” said Representative Strong.  

Representative Strong’s letter calls attention to serious behavior and commitment concerns displayed by senior Department of Defense officials through the USSPACECOM basing process. Strong also notes the Biden administration’s hostile behavior towards the State of Alabama.  

“Considering these negligent actions, I strongly urge the Committee to use its authority to compel the Secretary of the Air Force, Frank Kendall, and Commander of USSPACECOM, General James Dickinson, to appear before us at the earliest opportunity,” said Strong.  

This letter follows the July 31, 2023, announcement that President Biden had selected Peterson Space Force Base to house USSPACECOM headquarters, over Redstone Arsenal, the Air Force’s preferred location.  

A copy of the letter can be found here. 

Chairman Rogers,  

I write to express my extreme concern and outrage regarding the 31 July 2023 announcement that President Biden has chosen to disregard the U.S. Air Force’s preferred location for U.S. Space Command (USSPACECOM) headquarters.  

In recent months, senior Department of Defense officials have displayed an alarming lack of commitment to the Air Force’s Strategic Basing Process and the strategic interests of the United States, as proven by their contradictory statements and refusal to comply with Committee requests for information and interviews regarding headquarters selection.  

I find it unbelievable that anyone, upon reviewing the reasoning for the initial headquarters decision which was supported by investigations conducted by the Government Accountability Office and the Department of Defense Inspector General, would willingly choose the fifth-place ranked location of Petersen Space Force Base in Colorado Springs, CO, over the first-place ranked location of Redstone Arsenal. I share your view expressed in a July 18 letter to Secretary Kendall and General Dickinson: The Department of the Air Force and the leadership of USSPACECOM have engaged in deliberate, taxpayer-funded manipulation of a competitive selection process. 

Further, I believe that President Biden’s decision is undeniably malicious, partly driven political factors and by a sense of retribution against the State of Alabama in response to disagreements over its democratically enacted state laws. This decision allows national security to succumb to political preferences, undermines the trust placed within the Department of Defense to uphold the highest standards of integrity, and sets dangerous precedents for future basing decisions.  

Considering these negligent actions, I strongly urge the Committee to use its authority to compel the Secretary of the Air Force, Frank Kendall, and Commander of USSPACECOM, General James Dickinson, to appear before us at the earliest opportunity.