San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg shared his reaction to the news that Alabama will soon be home to the U.S. Space Command headquarters – and not San Antonio.
"San Antonio was honored to be among the six finalists for the U.S. Space Command headquarters," said Nirenberg, who had traveled to the nation's capital in October to vouch for the city. "The process enabled us to highlight our many assets and attributes including our cybersecurity, medical and training missions as well as Port San Antonio."
The Secretary of the Air Force chose Huntsville's Redstone Arsenal to be the preferred location. The official announcement came on Wednesday, January 13. Port San Antonio had joined locations in New Mexico, Nebraska, Florida, Colorado and Alabama on the short list.
Nirenberg said the act of being in the running still benefited the Alamo City in many ways.
“By being part of this process, we ensured that we remain on the Pentagon’s short list as a welcoming well-positioned home for our existing military missions as well as future missions," he said in a statement. "We will be continuing the conversations with military leaders and our local partners working toward future opportunities.”
Meanwhile, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey shared her excitement over the news.
“I couldn’t be more pleased to learn that Alabama will be the new home to the United States Space Command!” she said. "Our state has long provided exceptional support for our military and their families as well as a rich and storied history when it comes to space exploration.”
