October 5, 2026 \u2014 El Paso County Board of County Commissioners Chair Carrie Geitner, Vice Chair Lauren Nelson, and County leaders joined leaders from the Colorado Springs and Huntsville regions today to discuss the ongoing relocation of U.S. Space Command headquarters and the Golden Dome missile defense initiative. The discussions focused on how Huntsville\u2019s missile defense expertise and space operations in El Paso County can support missile warning, tracking, command and control, and interceptor systems. <\/p>\n
Golden Dome is envisioned as a layered homeland defense system to address ballistic, hypersonic, and cruise missile threats, as well as other advanced aerial attacks. The initiative follows a January 2025 executive order calling for a next-generation missile defense shield for the United States. <\/p>\n
Huntsville\u2019s defense and space assets include Redstone Arsenal, U.S. Army Materiel Command, the Missile Defense Agency, U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command, the Space Development Agency\u2019s South Satellite Control Center, the Army\u2019s Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Fires and NASA\u2019s Marshall Space Flight Center. <\/p>\n
In El Paso County, Peterson Space Force Base is within the City of Colorado Springs. Schriever Space Force Base, Cheyenne Mountain Space Force Station, the U.S. Air Force Academy and Fort Carson are in unincorporated El Paso County. The county is also home to U.S. Space Force Combat Forces Command, North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe each competed for Space Command. We fought hard for our respective communities, but as we should at the end of any competition, today we shake hands and congratulate Huntsville,\u201d Geitner said. <\/p>\n
Geitner affirmed El Paso County\u2019s support for President Trump and his administration\u2019s national security priorities and the Board\u2019s respect for his authority to make the headquarters decision. The Board previously worked with the Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC to oppose Colorado\u2019s lawsuit over the decision. Geitner called the lawsuit frivolous and said continued litigation does not help the mission move forward. <\/p>\n
\u201cOur national security comes first,\u201d Geitner said. \u201cAs a military spouse, I know that the decisions made by our Commander in Chief can make a tremendous impact on the safety of our family members who serve. I trust President Trump to make decisions that are in the best interest of our national security, and our service members.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cEl Paso County continues to be a strong advocate for our military and defense partners,\u201d Nelson said. \u201cWe will continue to support the mission as needs are defined.\u201d <\/p>\n
Geitner also pointed to El Paso County\u2019s skilled workforce and concentrated aerospace and defense industry, and credited Congressman Jeff Crank with work to expand the county\u2019s defense and space assets. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe success of Golden Dome will ultimately be measured by the nation\u2019s ability to field new capabilities at speed and scale,\u201d said Chip Cherry, President and CEO of the Huntsville\/Madison County Chamber. \u201cWith Huntsville\u2019s and Colorado Springs\u2019 central role in space and missile defense operations, our two regions are uniquely positioned to help support the next generation of homeland defense systems.\u201d <\/p>\n
Gen. Stephen Whiting, commander of U.S. Space Command, joined the Huntsville gathering as a keynote speaker. <\/p>\n
\u201cAmerica\u2019s Olympic City and America\u2019s Rocket City have extended incredible support to the men and women of U.S. Space Command through our ongoing headquarters relocation, helping ensure continued mission continuity and focus as we establish a footprint in Huntsville,\u201d Whiting said. \u201cWe are grateful for the novel formation of this twin-city partnership and optimistic that it will continue serving our nation\u2019s critical defense interests as space becomes an increasingly contested domain.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cAs Space Command settles in Huntsville, El Paso County will continue to support our nation\u2019s defense mission from Colorado, just as the people here will from Alabama,\u201d Geitner said. \u201cWe look forward to working with, learning from, and collaborating with our partners in Huntsville as we put the mission and America first.\u201d<\/p>\n