Space is the next frontier. We all know this, and whether critics like it or not, it will be weaponized. Do you think Russia or China will follow the rules? They’re not. The Space Force is an underreported accomplishment of the first Trump presidency, one even Trump’s staunchest critics in this field conceded was a good idea. We need this sixth branch of the U.S. military. It also needs a home base for training operations, and the Dayton region could host the Space Force Academy, where Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH) and most of the state’s congressional delegation are eager to make it official (via Dayton Daily News):
The Dayton region has a fighting chance to become the home of Space Academy — an academic and research institution for the Space Force rivaling West Point – according to U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno.
A consortium of state and federal government and business leaders are unveiling their proposal Monday, Sept. 21, to court the Trump administration into building the academy on a site joining Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and Wright State University.
“I think the only place that Space Academy belongs is Dayton, Ohio, and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base,” Moreno said in an exclusive interview with the Dayton Daily News. “I met with the president twice about this in the Oval, so we’re very confident.”
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President Donald Trump on Aug. 28 signed an executive order directing the establishment of a U.S. Space Academy.
“To continue to lead the world in space exploration and technology, while securing and defending our national interests in space, the Nation must prepare the next generation of astronauts, scientists, engineers, operators, entrepreneurs, civil servants, and warfighters and ensure that they are capable of advancing American interests in space,” Trump’s order says.
“I have worked to make Dayton and Ohio the aerospace capital of the world,” said Senator Jon Husted. “Between growing Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, to supporting the growth of Dayton’s innovative and robust aerospace industry, we have done just that. Leveraging the strengths of Wright-Patterson and NASA-Glenn, Ohio is best possible place for the Space Academy to train future generations of aerospace leaders.”
“The United States Space Academy is a great opportunity for our community. With Sen. Moreno in the lead, Ohio is making the strongest possible case for bringing the Space Academy to WPAFB, a headquarters command site for air and space research, intelligence and innovation,” said Congressman Mike Turner. “Our region has the expertise, infrastructure, and workforce to win this historic investment, and build the next generation of American space leadership right here in Ohio.”
Sen. Husted, who is running for reelection, would most definitely like to make this proposal official, giving a little juice to his campaign.
We shall see.