Space Command is a joint military command of the Defense Department responsible for military operations in space and employing forces from the U.S. Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Space Force. The new headquarters could bring up to 1,400 personnel to Ohio.
We’ve long known economic development builds on a foundation of strong relationships bolstered by anticipating the client’s needs. Ohio’s bid for Space Command gives us the opportunity to do both. We can show Air Force leadership the measures Ohio has enacted to make our state more friendly to military families, highlight our skilled defense workforce, and confirm the region’s capacity to support another major mission.
Ohio has fully embraced the Air Force’s priorities. When the Pentagon outlined what communities needed to do to retain and expand missions, Ohio rose to the challenge. Measures supporting professional licensure for military spouses, simplifying school enrollment and services, and extending the benefits of Ohio residency to military personnel and veterans passed the legislature with ease.
At the same time, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base continues to grow. The base added missions such as the National Space Intelligence Center (NSIC) and 76th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Squadron, while also adding personnel to the National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC), and Life Cycle Management Center.
That growth enjoys deep, wide-spread support in the region and beyond. Our colleges and universities, workforce partners, local governments, and private industry all do their part to ensure Wright-Patt’s success.
The CEOs of Ohio’s regional economic development organizations also signed a letter supporting Space Command’s relocation to Ohio. A similar letter was signed by the Presidents of Ohio’s major universities. Their signatures represent millions of Ohioans and their commitment to our national defense.
The letters outline Ohio’s deep commitment to space. Ohio scientists and engineers work every day to enable operations and life in space, both at Wright-Patt and NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. NASIC and NSIC, and the 178th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Group at the Springfield Air National Guard Base, occupy a critical role for national security. As one of my colleagues often says, Alabama builds the rockets, Florida launches them, Texas has mission control, but the science of it all comes from Ohio. The letter I signed along with other JobsOhio Network partners, economic development organizations and military installation support groups in the State of Ohio made it clear Ohio is ready to welcome any mission that fits our strengths.
We wrote, “as your administration considers the location of space-related defense organizations that conduct research, testing, and military operations, we want to remind you of the rich heritage of Ohio’s support for space as well as its current assets that can advance a wide range of space-related national security missions.”
Ohio’s longshot bid this time around has gotten a surprising amount of attention, not just within Ohio, but also among defense observers. That bodes well for Ohio’s future efforts to attract space-related defense missions.
Ohio is all in, not just for Space Command, but for any opportunity to bring new military missions to our state.
Jeff Hoagland is the president & CEO of the Dayton Development Coalition, a private, non-profit economic development organization with the mission to recruit, expand and retain jobs in the Dayton Region.
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