Report: Uncertainty over Space Command’s future contributes to hundreds of empty positions
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – A new government report reveals that U.S Space Command officials are having difficulty filling hundreds of positions due to looming uncertainty over the headquarters being moved out of state.
The report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) which acts as a federal auditor, found that despite U.S Space Command declaring full operational capacity in 2023 they are still short by a reported 355 positions as of October 2024.
The command says that this trend is being driven by the uncertainty of the final headquarters location being moved to Alabama.
Colorado District 5 Representative Jeff Crank tells our Denver news partners that even he is not sure where the debate stands, although he feels the GAO report proves that it should stay put in the Centennial State.
"I don't know where the decision is, whether it's a done deal or not, but I do know that I'm still waiting to hear the arguments about why. Where's the military value in moving it?" Crank said. "We need to get this figured out. It should not, we should not allow it, to have an impact on readiness. It is here. It makes sense to leave it here."
U.S Space Command officials also explain that they've been filling the gaps of employment through over 380 contractors since 2023.
The report says this draws concerns, as using contractors limits the operational capacity of the Command.
"...the Command hired contractor personnel to bridge the gap between authorized and assigned civilian personnel, thus increasing personnel costs and preventing the growth of longer-term institutional knowledge," the report reads in part. "Another U.S. Space Command official further noted that filling gaps with contractors is a temporary solution because contractors cannot perform the sensitive, unique work performed by government civilian personnel."
Space Command officials also laid out in the GAO report that remaining fully operational will not be sustainable long-term, citing that new military construction will also be needed in Colorado Springs for a permanent facility.
The report says that, according to a U.S Space Command document from July of 2023, there were plans proposed for a multi-story headquarters to replace its current temporary and leased facilities, priced around $1.5 billion. Construction was set to begin in January 2029.
However, the report says that the project was "put on hold," and there were no further plans discussed for a headquarters in Colorado Springs, as recently as of March 2025.
"There was language put in [the 2024] Defense Bill, that stopped [the plan] from happening. That language is not in effect anymore and they can do it," Crank said. "The question is, where do they do it? Do they do they put it in Colorado Springs or do they build it somewhere else? And so, you know, I do think that uncertainty is not good."
KRDO13 reached out to U.S Space Command on Friday afternoon for more updated employment figures as of May 2025, among other questions about the report, but have not heard back at the time of publication.
A spokesperson for Colorado State Senator John Hickenlooper shared a statement from him over text, reading:
"It’s already been investigated, proven, and decided: Colorado Springs is the best place for U.S. Space Command because it’s already at work here. Space Command is at full operational capability and has been for over a year. Dedicated service members and civilians are working around the clock at Peterson Space Force Base to keep our country safe in space. I have been working in lockstep with the entire Colorado delegation to keep Space Command where it belongs.”
KRDO13 also reached out to Gov. Jared Polis, and is awaiting a statement.
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