City leaders are trying to get the U.S. government to select Kent as the site for a new U.S. Space Command headquarters. COURTESY PHOTO, Air Force

City leaders are trying to get the U.S. government to select Kent as the site for a new U.S. Space Command headquarters. COURTESY PHOTO, Air Force

City of Kent trying to land U.S. Space Command headquarters

One of many cities across nation seeking to secure new facility

There’s a ton of competition across the nation, but Kent city leaders are urging the U.S. government to pick Kent as the permanent headquarters of the United States Space Command.

The new space command center would employ an estimated 1,400 at a 1 million-square-foot facility. The center has a temporary location in Colorado Springs, Colorado. U.S. SPACECOM is responsible for preparing all military operations in space, and is supported by service members drawn mostly from the Air Force but also from the Army, Navy and Marine Corps, according to Spacenews.com.

“We have a resolution to put our best foot forward and welcome U.S. Space Command with all the advantages we have here,” said Bill Ellis, city economic development director, in a Aug. 11 presentation to the City Council’s virtual Committee of the Whole meeting.

The council approved a resolution to bring the command center to Kent at its Aug. 18 virtual meeting. The city will send the resolution to President Donald Trump, U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett and to members of the Washington state congressional delegation.

“The Air Force is vetting a large number of communities across the country,” Ellis said. “It will make a recommendation to the commander-in-chief, with a decision in 2021.”

Ellis said other Washington cities seeking the command center include Tacoma, Lakewood, Everett, Spokane and Vancouver. But he added the toughest competition could come from Colorado Springs and Huntsville, Alabama. Cities in 26 states are pursuing the facility.

“I don’t think anybody has the diversity in manufacturing and know how in space as we do,” Ellis said in comparison to other cities in the state. “We have the deepest bench, the largest percentage of workers and longest heritage. We have more than half of the (6,200) outer space jobs in the state. In the state of Washington, nobody would have a better claim than us.”

As the historic home of the Boeing Space Center that opened in the 1960s to Blue Origin, which is building rockets to carry people into space, Kent has a lot of positives going for it, Ellis said. The city also has land near the Boeing Space Center to accommodate the headquarters, is close to Sea-Tac Airport and just 25 miles from Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM).

“The resolution is one of several ways we the city of Kent can illustrate its commitment to this vital defense program and the community’s support,” Ellis said.

The Air Force has said it will likely select a location in early 2021, but that it will take up to six years to build the new headquarters.

The Air Force in May announced there would be an open bidding process to select the permanent location of U.S. Space Command headquarters. Any state with large military bases that met a list of criteria was eligible to compete. Responses were due June 30, according to SpaceNews.com.

“City mayor or state governors may make announcements as they deem appropriate regarding their nomination,” said Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek in a statement.

Stefanek also said the Air Force doesn’t plan to make any selection announcements until after the candidate finalist selections in November.

U.S. SPACECOM is not the Space Force that Trump has called for establishing as new military service to defend America’s interests in space, according to SpaceNews.com. Space Force would be a separate service under the Air Force.

The Air Force will assess Kent and other cities ability to host, employ and sustain the headquarters. It will focus on four primary factors, including mission, capacity, community support and costs to the Department of Defense.

“Kent Valley has attracted a breadth of engineering and manufacturing talent that is experienced in the development of spacecraft and launch vehicles, satellites and satellite systems propulsion systems, navigation and controls, electronic equipment, robotics. …and pure research and development,” according to the city’s resolution. “These innovative capabilities are critical to the United States national security and to Space Force operations.”

USSPACECOM is temporarily headquartered in Colorado Springs with personnel and functions at Peterson Air Force Base as well as Schriever AFB, Colorado; Offutt AFB, Nebraska; and Vandenberg AFB, California.


Talk to us

Please share your story tips by emailing editor@kentreporter.com.

To share your opinion for publication, submit a letter through our website https://www.kentreporter.com/submit-letter/. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. (We’ll only publish your name and hometown.) Please keep letters to 300 words or less.

More in News

File Photo
Kent man, 21, killed in West Meeker Street parking lot shooting

Suspect fired five to 12 shots before fleeing; shooter and victim reportedly knew each other

Courtesy Photo, City of Kent
Kent City Council approves B&O tax increases to hire more police

Additional revenue will pay for four police department positions

t
King County executive will nominate replacements for Upthegrove

District 5, which includes parts of Kent, will get new representative on County Council in January

t
SeaTac man, 21, fatally shot in vehicle in Kent on West Hill

Someone ran up and fired multiple shots into vehicle Nov. 21 at Veterans Drive and Military Road

Kentwood High School, 25800 164th Ave. SE, in Covington, remained without power Thursday morning, Nov. 21, according to Puget Sound Energy. COURTESY PHOTO, Kent School District
Kent schools remain closed due to windstorm damage, power outages

Second consecutive day of closures Thursday, Nov. 21 across the Kent School District

t
Kent-based Puget Sound Fire calls windstorm ‘one for the ages’

Agency responds to 308 calls in 12-hour period, including 245 for storm-related issues

Crews clear trees from State Route 18, which the Washington State Patrol closed in both directions Wednesday, Nov. 20, from Issaquah Hobart to I-90 over Tiger Mountain because of fallen trees during a windstorm. COURTESY PHOTO, Washington State Patrol
Windstorm closes Kent schools, roads due to fallen trees

Many without power in areas of Kent and beyond

t
“Prolific” vehicular theft suspect arrested in Renton

Kent man holds 13 prior convictions and 41 arrests.

tt
Green Kent volunteer program wraps up season at city park

Volunteers remove invasive species, plant native trees and shrubs at Mill Creek Canyon Earthworks Park

t
Copper-wire thieves damage Kent Senior Center roof refrigeration unit

Facility temporarily loses commercial kitchen refrigerator but staff, community keep meals going

t
16-year-old girl dies in Covington single-car crash

Teen was driving when car crashed into a tree Nov. 15 along SE 256th Street just east of Kent