Author: Mary Shinn
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In Space Command fight, ‘national security should trump everything’
Colorado lawmakers say President Donald Trump’s decision to move U.S. Space Command headquarters from Colorado Springs to Alabama discounts national security concerns and could yet be overturned. “National security should trump everything,” said former U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn, R-Colorado Springs. But reversing the decision announced on Tuesday could be tough, because Trump has more than…
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Response to new details about Space Force’s model for part-timers: ‘It makes zero sense’
Space Force and Air Force Reserve leaders announced new details at a town hall hosted earlier this month about the plan to integrate part-time guardians into the active-duty Space Force. Current space-focused reservists can retire, apply for retraining through the Air Force Reserve, or apply for the Space Force, but they can’t stay in their…
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Air Force secretary opposes creation of Space National Guard, calls it the worst option
Creating a Space National Guard is the worst option for 14 space-focused National Guard units, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said Wednesday at Space Symposium. Space Command announces new space wargaming lab The fight over the future of space-focused Air National Guard units is also receiving much more political attention than it deserves, he said.…
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Polis opposes DOD proposal to unilaterally move space-focused National Guard units
Gov. Jared Polis is pushing back against legislation proposed by the Department of Defense to transfer space-focused Air National Guard units into the active duty Space Force without the consent of governors who oversee the units. The potential transfer of 14 space-focused units, including seven in Colorado, to the Space Force is also expected to…
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Lamborn leaves behind $3 billion in local military installation investment
As U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn prepares to leave office after 17 years, his contributions to the five Pikes Peak-region military installations can be measured in the billions. The preservation of Space Command in Colorado Springs tops the list of his accomplishments, with its $1 billion in annual economic impact. But Lamborn fought for many other…
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Space Command achieves major milestone, marking important victory for Colorado Springs
Space Command announced Friday that it has reached full operational capability, a milestone that played a major role in the political debate over keeping the command in Colorado Springs. Space Command head Gen. James Dickinson said the announcement is based on an in-depth evaluation of the command’s capabilities, including “our worst day, when we are…
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Rep. Jason Crow demands answers from VA over deleted prosthetic orders
A Colorado lawmaker is demanding answers over staffing shortages, staff morale and canceled orders for prosthetics at the Department of Veterans Affairs hospital in Aurora. Rep. Jason Crow, D-Aurora, sent a letter Thursday to the Under Secretary of Health within the VA over problems at the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center uncovered by The…
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Major military spending bill passed on Thursday will bring millions in investment to Colorado
A major military spending bill passed Thursday featured millions in local investment and deferred action on local priorities. The National Defense Authorization Act includes a major land deal for Pueblo, investments in the Air Force Academy, and Buckley and Peterson Space Force bases. Two other well-heralded provisions did not pass. One was expected to ensure…
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Sinking in Rockrimmon: Colorado Springs homeowners believe homes sinking into old coal mine
One of the first signs of trouble with Kenny and Ardith Lindquist’s home in Rockrimmon was the porch – the contractor couldn’t believe how much cement it took to stabilize it. “He came three times with a cement truck,” Kenny Lindquist recalled. While the porch still has signs of damage, the two now have much bigger…
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Return to Nature Funeral Home owners arrested
Authorities arrested the owners of the Return to Nature Funeral Home, who are expected to face felony charges related to the discovery of nearly 200 improperly stored bodies in a building in Penrose. Investigators entered the Return to Nature Funeral Home building in the Rocky Mountain town of Penrose some 100 miles south of Denver…