WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown, D-OH, and U.S. Representatives David Joyce, R-OH-14, Marcy Kaptur, D-OH-09, Max Miller, R-OH-07, Joyce Beatty, D-OH-03, Shontel Brown, D-OH-11, Emilia Sykes, D-OH-13, and Greg Landsman, D-OH-01, called on the Biden administration to choose Ohio’s Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB) in Dayton as the headquarters for the U.S. Space Command and to locate additional U.S. Space Force units in Ohio in partnership with the NASA John H. Glenn Research Center’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky.
In a letter to President Joe Biden, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall, and Chief of Space Operations General B. Chance Saltzman, the lawmakers write that the numerous industry and university parties in the state — along with existing U.S. Air Force and NASA bases and facilities – make Ohio ideally suited to host U.S. Space Command and Space Force units – should the Department of Defense (DoD) choose to re-locate the Command HQ.
“The state of Ohio is ideally suited to host U.S. Space Command and Space Force Units,” wrote the lawmakers. “From the Wright brothers to American heroes like John Glenn and Neil Armstrong, the story of modern aviation is rooted in Ohio – and Ohio is ready to meet the challenges of the future. Ohio’s numerous industry and university partners in the state create a synergy around national security and space that is unmatched around the country.”
Wright-Patterson Air Force base is home to the center for science and technology, intelligence, and graduate education for both the Air Force and the Space Force. NASA Glenn—including the Lewis Field and Armstrong Test Facility—is a leader in the research and development of space-related technologies, many of which have strong defense applications. Additionally, Ohio’s numerous higher education and research institutions, apprenticeship and training programs, rich history in and support of the space industry, and manufacturing excellence make it a prime candidate to house the combatant Command Center.
Ohio is also home to key military bases and NASA facilities that already support key space-related operations – including innovation in space components and technology. Locating U.S. Space Command and additional U.S. Space Force units in Ohio will allow for a level of collaboration across existing Air Force and NASA Facilities – along with research universities in the state and across the Midwest – that will make our national space security both more efficient and effective.
These facilities include the National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC) and the National Space Intelligence Center (NSIC); the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL); and other organizations at WPAFB; the 178th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) Group at the Springfield Air National Guard Base; and NASA Glenn.
In 2020 Brown and former U.S. Senator Rob Portman, R-OH, led the entire Ohio delegation in supporting Wright-Patt as the location for Space Command Headquarters. Ultimately, Ohio received the National Space Intelligence Center.
Brown hosted a news conference call on the letter and was joined by Elaine Bryant, Executive VP for Aerospace and Defense with the Dayton Development Coalition (DDC) and managing director with JobsOhio.
“Ohio has the workforce, quality of life, and strong support for our military families,” said DDC Executive Vice President for Aerospace and Defense Elaine Bryant. “Wright-Patt has expansive infrastructure and strong connection to the Space Command mission with organizations like the National Air and Space Intelligence Center, the National Space Intelligence Center, the 76th Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance Squadron, the Air Force Research Laboratory and the synergy’s with the work being done at NASA Glenn.”
