Now that the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act has been signed by President Donald Trump, the Space Force is in the first stages of creation, and some Air Force bases could be getting name changes to reflect that.
One of the actions the Air Force, under which the Space Force will operate, has to do is rename some of its bases to reflect the space mission, said Air Force Gen. Jay Raymond, who is head of U.S. Space Command.
“We do have a plan to rename the principal Air Force bases that house space units to be space bases,” said Raymond, who will lead Space Force as its first chief of space operations.
“I just want to point out, though, that we will rely very heavily on the Air Force to operate those bases,” he added. “But we’ll work to rename those to match the mission of the base.”
Raymond pointed out five potential Air Force bases that could be renamed:
- Buckley Air Force Base in Aurora, Colorado;
- Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colorado;
- Schriever Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colorado;
- Vandenberg Air Force Base in Barbara County, California; or
- Patrick Air Force Base in Brevard County, Florida.
Notably, Vandenberg Air Force Base is home to the 14th Air Force, which was re-designated as Space Operations Command.
“His list wasn’t necessarily all inclusive,” Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek said in an email to Business Insider last week, adding she didn’t have any other information about renaming bases, as they are “still working through the details”
Another possibility, according to Business Insider, is Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station in Colorado Springs, Colorado, although Raymond didn’t mention it by name.
“The effects the new Space Force will have on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and Patrick Air Force Base has not been announced yet, but continuing to successfully accomplish the mission without interruption is our top priority,” 45th Wing commander Brig. Gen. Doug Schiess said Jan. 3.
President Donald Trump signed the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act on Dec. 20. In a similar way to how the Marine Corps is part of the Navy, the Space Force will be part of the Air Force.
Contrary to some belief, Space Force is not meant to send troops to space. Instead, it will provide forces and assets to Space Command, which leads military operations in space for the U.S. military.
While the secretary of the Air Force has to tell Congress by Feb. 1 how Space Force will be organized and what its expected budget needs are, Raymond said on Dec. 20 that there are “thousands and thousands of actions that are going to have to take place” over the next 18 months.
While changing the names of a few bases might sound like a simple task, it doesn’t involve just swapping out the front sign, In Military reported. There are signs all over the base that need to be changed and there are heavy logistics involved.
These include the front gate, headquarters building, base housing, some “no trespassing” signs, the gym, the chapel and the youth center.
Additionally, all marketing and Public Relations material needs to be redesigned and there needs to be new patches ordered for the tens of thousands of airmen on the bases.
