HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Gen. Stephen Whiting, the head of U.S. Space Command, announced this week his pick to lead the construction of a new command headquarters in Alabama, despite ongoing litigation.
According to our news partners at The Gazette, Whiting named Maj. Gen. Terry Grisham, an assistant deputy commanding general with the Army National Guard, to direct the program management office in charge of overseeing the construction of a new home for the headquarters, a Department of Defense news release said.
Previously, Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Ala., had set aside 60 acres of raw land for Space Command.
The first members of Space Command Headquarters staff have already moved to Alabama to start the office, the release said.
“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 statement. Grisham is an Alabama native who retired after 39 years with Aviation and Missile Command.
“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,” Whiting said.
The military is going forward with the move despite Colorado’s lawsuit against the Trump administration over it. Colorado’s Attorney General Phil Weiser argues in the suit that Trump moved the headquarters in retaliation over the state’s mail-in voting system, an alleged violation of the Constitution’s separation of powers. States alone have the power to regulate elections.
Colorado Springs elected leaders, including the Colorado Springs City Council and El Paso County commissioners, do not support the lawsuit. While they believe the public would be best-served by keeping the command locally, they do not support a protracted legal battle.
In his new role, Grisham will manage the headquarters construction and infrastructure. Several years ago, retired generals estimated the move could cost more than $1 billion.
About 1,000 headquarters jobs are expected to leave Colorado Springs for Huntsville.
The command brings together service members from across the military branches to defend America’s interests in space.
Colorado Springs is also home to most of the Space Force, an independent military branch.
The Gazette's Mary Shinn contributed to this web story.
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