WASHINGTON — Two Representatives from Indiana are urging the U.S. Secretary of the Air Force to consider putting the U.S. Space Command headquarters at Grissom Air Reserve Base in Miami and Cass counties.
Republican Reps. Jim Banks, District 3, Jackie Walorski, District 2, sent the letter to U.S. Secretary of the Air Force Barbara M. Barrett on Tuesday.
The headquarters for Space Command, which is expected to be chosen in 2021 and fully operational in about six years, will have about 1,400 military and civilian personnel working there, according to a press release.
Grissom Air Reserve Base has a 12,250 foot long runway, which was designated as a landing spot for space missions, the representatives said in their letter.
“I applaud the Space Force for expanding their search beyond the traditional space hubs, like Colorado, California and Florida," Banks said in the release. "Indiana has an established defense innovation base, superior educational institutions and a low cost of living; our state is innovative, primed for growth and I’m glad it isn’t being overlooked. Within Indiana, Grissom Air Force Base is an excellent candidate site. Its runway was designed as an alternative landing location for space missions and it has plenty of room for expansion. I encourage the Air Force to consider Grissom as they weigh options for the new U.S. Space Command headquarters.”
The U.S. Space Command is temporarily headquartered at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado and some personnel are in other bases in Colorado, Nebraska, and California.
You can read the full letter below:
June 2, 2020
The Honorable Barbara M. Barrett
Secretary of the Air Force
1670 Air Force Pentagon
Washington, D.C. 20330-1670
Dear Secretary Barrett,
I applaud your leadership in establishing the U.S. Space Command, the sixth branch of the military and an accomplishment of great significance to our country. As you weigh options for the location of the headquarters for the U.S. Space Command, we urge you to consider Grissom Air Force Base in Indiana.
Grissom Air Force Base is a promising resource for space assets and personnel, with significant room for housing and office expansion. Grissom Air Force Base also has a 1,250 ft runway previously designated as an alternative landing location for space missions.
Indiana is an excellent location as the U.S. Space Command headquarters. Indiana’s low cost of living and access to nationally recognized Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math universities will prove to be a worthwhile investment for the U.S. Air Force. Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb also values the partnership between defense industry, educational institutions, and the Department of Defense. In his 2020 State of the State address, Governor Holcomb committed to tripling Indiana’s federal defense investments. As defense investment continues to grow, a U.S. Space Command at Grissom Air Force Base will benefit from an increasingly vibrant national security ecosystem.
Thank you for considering Grissom Air Force Base in Indiana as the headquarters for U.S. Space Force. Please feel free to reach out to our offices with any further questions.
