Udall, Bennet, Lamborn Fight to Keep Missile Defense Center in Colorado Springs

Press Release

Today, U.S. Senators Mark Udall and Michael Bennet, and U.S. Representative Doug Lamborn are urging the Defense Department not to move the U.S. Missile Defense Integration and Operations Center out of Colorado Springs.

In a letter to Lt. Gen. Patrick O'Reilly, director of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency, the lawmakers said they are troubled by rumors that the MDA might move the center out of Colorado Springs, a decision they argued could not only cost the region jobs but could also degrade the work the center does to support the nation's Ballistic Missile Defense System. The system's primary partners, including Cheyenne Mountain, USNORTHCOM, SMDC/ARSTRAT, JFCC-IMD, and AFSPC, all are located in Colorado Springs.

"The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) missions currently residing at the MDIOC are perfectly situated to leverage the synergies with other mission partners in Colorado Springs and have built the infrastructures and relationships to continue to grow capability in the future," the lawmakers wrote. "The rationale for having the MDIOC mission in Colorado Springs is just as strong today, if not stronger, than it was when first established."

The lawmakers asked Lt. Gen. O'Reilly for assurance that the MDA has no plans to move the center outside Colorado. If MDA is planning such a move, they asked that it take no action without first consulting Congress and that it provide detailed information on the basing decision process used and the criteria applied - similar to the transparent process the military uses to select locations for new and existing units.

"Since MDA operates outside normal service chains as a direct report agency...detailed information about these processes and criteria will help us form a foundation of understanding that will hopefully curtail the persistent rumors of MDA relocation of jobs from Colorado," the lawmakers wrote.

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