U.S. Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper met with Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall and implored him to review the findings of two agencies regarding President Donald Trump’s decision to move U.S. Space Command from Colorado to Alabama. 

The recently released reports from the Pentagon’s Office of Inspector General and the Government Accountability Office “affirm our doubts about the accuracy and credibility of the decision-making process,” the senators said in a news release. 

Senior military leaders have identified Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado Springs as their preferred choice for the headquarters of the Space Command as it can reach full operational capability (FOC) faster than other locations, the senators noted. 

Colorado Springs was 1st choice for Space Command headquarters, OIG report concludes

“As Vladimir Putin continues to wage war on Ukraine, and China expands its influence in space, we cannot afford to delay FOC at Space Command. Relocating the mission will only serve our adversaries,” the joint statement reads.

The lawmakers’ call for Kendall to review is the latest development in a fight that has been going on since Jan. 13, 2021 when the outgoing Trump administration awarded the headquarters to Huntsville, Ala., citing a metric-based evaluation by the Air Force that ranked Colorado Springs at No. 5 on a list of six contenders, The Gazette previously reported. 

The inspector general’s report, which included the metric evaluation, also detailed the preference by top military leaders to keep the command at Peterson, where it is currently based.

Fight to keep U.S. Space Command in Colorado Springs finds traction in new report