Offutt Among 6 Finalists to Host Space Command
The Omaha area could host the United States military’s command governing space.
Offutt Air Force Base is among six installations under consideration to permanently host U.S. Space Command, which had for years been part of the U.S. Strategic Command based at Offutt.
Gov. Pete Ricketts called the announcement “exciting news for the City of Bellevue and for all of Nebraska.
“Our state gives tremendous support to military families,” Ricketts said in a statement last Thursday. “There’s no better relationship anywhere in the nation than between the community of Bellevue and Offutt.”
The Air Force base also hosts the 55th Wing and the 557th Weather Wing, and Ricketts said those missions already play key roles in supporting U.S. space operations.
“Given these complementary and mutually supporting missions, Offutt AFB would be a great home for USSPACECOM,” Ricketts said. “Nebraskans would be honored to have USSPACECOM headquartered in Bellevue.”
President Donald Trump reconstituted the U.S. Space Command in August 2019. The Department of Defense unified combatant command – which brings together components from the military’s service branches, including the recently established Space Force – has its temporary headquarters at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colorado, also a finalist.
The other finalists selected by the U.S. Air Force are Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, Patrick Air Force Base in Florida, Redstone Army Airfield in Alabama and Port San Antonio in Texas. Thirty-one cities were originally under consideration.
“It is a credit to the hard work and professionalism of the men and women at Offutt Air Force Base that they have been selected as one of the Air Force’s six finalists for SPACECOM’s headquarters,” Sen. Deb Fischer said in a statement. “Offutt is a strong candidate, and the support it receives from the surrounding community is unmatched. I look forward to continuing to work with Air Force leadership and advocating on the base’s behalf.”
A final decision is expected in January after the Department of Defense conducts virtual and in-person site surveys.
The new command would bring more than 1,000 new jobs and the potential for billions in spending and contracts to the winning state.
“As one of the earliest advocates for the Space Force, I applaud this announcement,” Rep. Don Bacon, a member of the House Armed Services Committee and House Space Force Caucus, said in a statement.
Bacon is a former commander of the 55th Wing. He noted that Offutt is already among the metro area’s top three employers.
“America’s national security and economic prosperity depend on our access to space and this reliance will only increase over time,” Bacon said. “It’s great to see the Pentagon recognize that Nebraska and Offutt Air Force Base are ideal locations for the missions that matter most.”
This report contains material from The Associated Press.
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