COLUMBUS — Governor Mike DeWine issued an official statement yesterday endorsing Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and the surrounding community as a prime candidate for the location of the new United States Space Command (USSPACECOM) headquarters.
“Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and the Dayton region would be excellent hosts for the U.S. Space Command’s new headquarters,” DeWine said in the statement. “This area is already home to the National Air and Space Intelligence Center, Air Force Research Laboratory, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, and Air Force Material Command. It’s a powerful combination and a synergy that you can’t find anywhere else.”
Beavercreek Mayor Bob Stone originally put forth the proposal, and DeWine joins four county commission presidents (Clark, Greene, Miami, and Montgomery) and 22 local mayors in endorsing this nomination. In letters submitted by both DeWine and local elected officials, leaders acknowledged Wright-Patt and the Dayton area for their commitment to the life and mission of military members.
“Ohio has long been associated with aerospace and space technology from the days of the Wright Brothers. We offer our support to continue that unbroken tradition by hosting the permanent headquarters of USSPACECOM,” the letter said.
Wright-Patterson and the supporting communities meet “all of the screening requirements” to host such a force. The letters, submitted to Assistant Secretary of the Air Force John Henderson, are the first steps in potentially securing the right to host Space Command here in the Dayton area. If Dayton is selected, the move could potentially bring 1,400 civilian and military personnel to Ohio, according to the governor’s statement.
Xenia Mayor Sarah Mays added her signature to the nomination, and expressed his endorsement of Wright-Patterson as it seeks out this new venture.
“Absolutely it makes sense to have it here where we already support this type of operation,” she said. “This is our culture. That’s what we do here. We are extremely supportive of the base. Bringing any type of program like that, that’s jobs. It’s economic growth. That would be a huge win.”
