I. (U) Introduction
(U) The DoD Office of Inspector General (OIG) evaluated the process followed by United States Air Force (Air Force) officials to select the preferred permanent location for the United States Space Command (USSPACECOM) Headquarters (HQ).[1] On January 13, 2021, the Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs Office issued a press release publicly announcing the Secretary of the Air Force (SECAF) selection of Huntsville, Alabama, as the preferred permanent location for the USSPACECOM HQ, pending the results of an environmental study expected in spring 2023.
(U) USSPACECOM is the DoD unified combatant command responsible for all military operations 62 miles above sea level and higher.[2] As a unified combatant command, USSPACECOM employs forces from each of the Military Services to accomplish missions in the space domain.
(U) The Acting Deputy Secretary of Defense (SECDEF) delegated the responsibility for selecting the preferred permanent location for the USSPACECOM HQ to the SECAF. The Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Energy, Installations, and Environment (SAF/IE) has overall responsibility for installations strategy and strategic basing processes for the Department of the Air Force. For this basing action, the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Installations (SAF/IEI) and its subordinate groups (hereafter referred to as the Basing Office) evaluated candidate locations and provided a recommendation to the SECAF.[3] The SECAF made the decision on the preferred permanent location for the USSPACECOM HQ based, in part, on the results of the evaluation performed by the Basing Office personnel.
(U) On January 19, 2021, the DoD OIG received a letter from two members of the
U.S. House Committee on Armed Services (HASC) requesting that the DoD OIG review
the USSPACECOM HQ basing decision out of concern that there was undue political
influence on the decision. On January 26, 2021, Colorado’s congressional delegation
sent a letter to the President and requested the SECDEF review the appropriateness
of the USSPACECOM HQ basing decision. On February 19, 2021, the DoD OIG announced this evaluation. On the same day, the DoD OIG received another similar
- ↑ (U) The location will not be considered permanent until post‑environmental surveys and other associated actions are complete and the SECAF makes the final decision.
- ↑ (U) According to the USSPACECOM website "Frequently Asked Questions," a unified combatant command is a command with a broad continuing mission under a single commander and is composed of significant assigned Components of two or more Military Departments that the President establishes and designates, through the SECDEF, with the advice and assistance of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
- ↑ (U) For this report, we define candidate locations as all locations that submitted self‑nomination packages for consideration to host the USSPACECOM HQ. The Air Force used the terms "Self‑Nominated Communities" for the Nomination Phase, "Nominees" for the Evaluation Phase, "Candidates" for the Selection Phase, and "Preferred Location" and "Reasonable Alternatives" after the SECAF's decision.
CUI
