Image of Commissioner Stan VanderWerf with Blue Banner and Pikes Peak in Background, with EPC Seal and text "NEWS RELEASE"

June 3, 2022 El Paso County Board of County Commissioners Chair, Stan VanderWerf has issued a statement regarding recent GAO report findings on Space Command relocation from Colorado Springs.

“The release of the Government Accountability Office (GAO) report reinforces our concerns about the decision to uproot U.S. Space Command. The GAO report highlights the transparency and credibility concerns found in the decision process. We have maintained that keeping U.S. Space Command in Colorado Springs will be the least costly to taxpayers and most beneficial to national security.

As a former Air Force Colonel who specialized in budgets at the Pentagon and during this time of high inflation, the nation cannot afford to spend billions of dollars moving a fully operational command. A move such as this also places our security at significant risk at a time of high international tension.

Top military officials previously cited national security as the most critical factor and advised keeping U.S. Space Command in Colorado Springs. Current geopolitical instability reinforces the top military officials’ recommendation to minimize risk and keep the Command in Colorado. We have the infrastructure, military/defense space industry, and expertise in Colorado right now to support U.S. Space Command operations permanently.

Let’s save taxpayer money and ensure national security by keeping U.S. Space Command in Colorado Springs.”