The House Armed Services Committee approved an amendment Wednesday that will require the Air Force to work with state governors on the transfer of space-focused National Guard units. 

The Air Force had planned to unilaterally transfer space-focused National Guard units into the Space Force, drawing opposition from the governors of all 50 states. Colorado lawmakers including U.S. Rep. Jason Crow, D-Aurora, also worked on a letter that drew support from 85 members of Congress to oppose the Department of Defense proposal. 

Colorado is home to seven of the 14 space-focused National Guard units that perform specialized tasks, such as missile warning and electromagnetic warfare. The units were orphaned when the Space Force was created and space missions left the Air Force. Several solutions have been proposed for their long-term future. 

Air Force National Guard Space Force plan flies in the face of precedent

Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall seemed to favor transferring them into Space Force as part-time members, when he visited Colorado Springs in April. He called creating a Space National Guard for the units the worst solution. 

Crow lauded the amendment that would require the Air Force to work with Colorado in a Wednesday statement. 

“I’ve been fighting for our National Guard members and will continue to. This is an important step to protect our National Guard and safeguard their commitment to serve. Colorado’s guard members sign up to serve their community and nation, and that service should be respected,” he said in a statement. 

Colorado lawmakers lead bipartisan opposition to DOD plan for space-focused National Guard units

Gov. Jared Polis was pleased with Crow’s work on the issue to reinstates governors’ authority over their National Guards, said Shelby Wieman, a spokeswoman for the office. 

The amendment still needs to make it through the House and Senate, and it would not stop the transfer of the units into the active-duty Space Force.

But it would require the Air Force and the governors in states with space-focused National Guard units to have a discussion about the transfer, said Parker White, a spokesman for the Colorado Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.  

Few details about a potential transfer have been released. 

Gen. Chance Saltzman said in an email to all guardsmen he expected new part-time guardians would fill education, training and testing roles rather than going into employed-in-place operations.

Governors of 48 states push back on DOD plan for space Air National Guard units

An analysis of the options for the space-focused National Guardsman anticipates 578 positions, 224 full-time and 354 part-time jobs across nine units would transfer. 

A survey of the 1,000 guardsmen working in space-focused units found upward of 80% may quit if the transfer happens, Crow said, in an interview.  

“We will lose some of our best and some of our brightest,” Crow said, in an interview last week.