U.S. Space Command is operating a small Program Management Office with about 20 personnel at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, as part of the phased relocation of its headquarters, Gen. Stephen N. Whiting told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday.
The update comes as the command charts a long-term move to Alabama that will unfold over several years.
The command plans to break ground on a new headquarters facility on an approximately 60-acre site near the center of Redstone Arsenal in 2027, according to the City of Huntsville. The facility is scheduled for completion around 2031, with an additional year for personnel move-in.
To guarantee uninterrupted command and control throughout the transition, USSPACECOM will phase the relocation of personnel and missions to Redstone Arsenal and operate from interim facilities while a dedicated, purpose-built warfighting platform, designed to meet the demands of USSPACECOM’s mission needs is constructed, Whiting said in his March 17, 2026, prepared posture statement.
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I’m very happy that we’re able to take advantage of the MILCON reform language that the Committee inserted into the last National Defense Authorization Act, which is allowing us to build our new headquarters in a different way than we would have last year without that language, Whiting said during the March 26 hearing.
The comment underscores a bipartisan push to streamline major construction projects as the relocation advances.
In January, Whiting appointed Maj. Gen. Terry L. Grisham, an Alabama native with nearly 40 years of military and civilian service, to lead the transition as director of the Program Management Office at Redstone Arsenal.
Terry’s nearly 40 years of expertise is informed by both his military service in the Alabama National Guard and civil service with the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, Whiting said in the January announcement.
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This experience — paired with his deep ties to the surrounding community — will prove invaluable as he leads our efforts on Redstone Arsenal to expeditiously relocate our warfighting organization while ensuring that the perspectives of both our military and civilian workforce are clearly represented, he concluded.
The relocation involves approximately 1,400 positions out of the command’s roughly 1,700 military and civilian personnel. U.S. Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., has said that about 50% of headquarters personnel are expected to be in Alabama by the end of 2028. The command is offering relocation bonuses paid over several years and coverage of moving expenses for civilians who relocate to Huntsville.
A retention bonus has been implemented for headquarters staff civilians remaining in Colorado Springs until their functions relocate, according to a U.S. Space Command spokesperson.
I need my workforce to stay with me in Colorado until their function is ready to move, Whiting said. The command has described continuity, the care of personnel and families, and preserving warfighting culture as priorities during the relocation.
In addition to the broader relocation plan, Whiting noted changes and measures designed to maintain steady operations throughout the transition.
The relocation follows President Donald Trump’s September 2025 designation of Redstone Arsenal as the headquarters location. Colorado has filed a lawsuit challenging the relocation; the Trump administration has sought its dismissal.
The administration has framed the shift as a strategic move to consolidate space assets and boost readiness for modern warfighting demands, even as it encounters legal challenges from the state of Colorado.
As the project progresses, military leadership stresses that the Alabama site is central to long-range plans and national security infrastructure.
Officials say the work will proceed with a strong emphasis on continuity of mission and support for personnel and their families, a theme echoed in Whiting’s statements and in the broader planning documents he has released to lawmakers.
The next steps center on finalizing the design, securing funding, and coordinating with the Army Corps of Engineers to ensure a smooth transition for the warfighting workforce.
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