Congress passes defense spending bill, would bring $322 million and Space Force to Colorado Springs
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - You've heard the President talk about it and now newly approved funding would make it a reality.
The headquarters is still undecided but we know that some of the building blocks of the new U.S. Space Force will be in Colorado Springs. On Tuesday, the Senate approved the 2020 defense spending bill in an overwhelming majority. The house approved it last week.
Now, Trump just needs to sign the defense bill himself to fulfill his grand plan of creating a Space Force. Congressman Doug Lamborn says he should sign it within the next few days.
"I know the President wants to quickly sign it into law right after that," Lamborn says.
Lamborn, a member of the House Armed Services Committee helped to bring $322 million to Peterson Air Force Base, Schriever Air Force Base, and Fort Carson. Much of that will support space operations.
"It cements the position of Colorado Springs as the leader of national defense space in the country," Lamborn says. He added that Air Force Space Command, which is currently headquartered at Peterson, will be converted to the U.S. Space Force and bring thousands of new specialized positions here.
"They will be in charge of, I think it's 15,000 space personnel worldwide, but many of them are in the Colorado Springs area," said Lamborn.
While much of the details have yet to be worked out, Lamborn says Space Force will focus on the training, leadership, and policy of all space personnel. Space Command will protect and defend space assets.
The big question moving forward: will both Space Command and Space Force stay in the Pikes Peak Region? Lamborn says that with Peterson receiving $54 million from the defense bill and Schriever receiving $148 million for a combined space operations building, he has his fingers crossed for the future.
As of now, there is no timeline on when the military will announce the permanent headquarters of both Space Command and Space Force.
