Could Grissom Air Base Become Space Command HQ?

The U.S. Space Command is still in its infancy, but Representatives Jim
Banks (R-03) and Jackie Walorski (R-02) think Grissom Air Reserve Base
should be considered as a possible location for its headquarters.

The lawmakers sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of the Air Force Barbara
Barrett asking her to look at the base near Bunker Hill as a viable option.

The Air Force is expected to choose a permanent site for Space Command HQ in
early 2021, and bring with it approximately 1,400 jobs.

Banks, who serves northeast Indiana, and Walorski, who serves north central
Indiana, think the state’s growing defense, innovation, and technology
sectors, as well as Grissom’s proximity to highly rated STEM universities,
makes it an ideal location.

“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,” said the co-signed letter.

The lawmakers mentioned Governor Eric Holcomb’s 2020 State of the State
address in which he committed to tripling Indiana’s federal defense
investments.

They said another big benefit is the available space for expansion on the
property and its 1,250-foot runway “previously designated as an alternative
landing location for space missions.” The base currently serves as home to
the 434th Air Refueling Wing and a number of KC-135 Stratotankers used to
refuel military aircraft in mid-flight.

Last August, President Trump activated the U.S. Space Command, which will
serve as a centralized authority for the U.S. military’s role in space.

The new command and headquarters is expected to become fully operational in
about six years.

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.

Source: Inside Indianan Business by Gerry Dick

Photo courtesy of Grissom Air Reserve Base