One year after President Donald Trump announced U.S. Space Command headquarters would move to Huntsville, more than 140 uniformed and civilian personnel are already working from Redstone Arsenal — and that number is expected to keep growing.

The personnel are working from three facilities across the Arsenal and represent about 10% of Space Command’s total manpower, according to a one-year update released Wednesday.

The move has also progressed beyond setting up offices and providing relocation support. Personnel working from Alabama are now directly contributing to the combatant command’s mission, work that previously had been carried out exclusively from Colorado Springs.

In April, Space Command’s Intelligence Directorate established its Joint Intelligence Support Element at Redstone. The team fulfills global intelligence requirements daily and is the first staff directorate supporting operations from Northern Alabama.

Gen. Stephen Whiting, commander of U.S. Space Command, offered a glimpse of how quickly the Huntsville workforce is growing when he spoke to reporters Aug. 12 during the Space and Missile Defense Symposium.

“Now, about 11 months since the President made his announcement, we have over 113 people,” Whiting said. “We’re on our way to 200 people by the end of this year…and half of our staff here in 2028.”

Less than a month later, Space Command reported more than 140 personnel at Redstone.

As the command expands its Redstone workforce, it is also increasing its visibility and hiring efforts across Northern Alabama. Space Command is offering financial incentives to retain current civilian employees and maintain mission continuity during the move.

As the workforce grows, work is also underway to provide the facilities and infrastructure needed to support the command’s expanding Huntsville presence.

Space Command’s Redstone Transition Team is working with Redstone Arsenal Garrison leadership and the command’s Logistics and Engineering and Digital Superiority directorates to establish interim workspaces and plan for a permanent command and control facility.

Several Redstone tenants have provided space during the transition, including the Missile Defense Agency, Missile and Space Intelligence Center, FBI and U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command.

The command secured $147.5 million in fiscal year 2026 funding to establish secure digital infrastructure at Redstone. The infrastructure is designed to support uninterrupted global command and control as the Huntsville operation grows to ultimately more than 900 headquarters personnel by fiscal year 2028.

Another $57 million this fiscal year is dedicated specifically to planning and design of the permanent command and control facility. Other Transactional Authorities included in the National Defense Authorization Act are allowing the command to use a progressive design-build process intended to shorten traditional acquisition timelines and keep construction on schedule.

For Maj. Gen. Terry L. Grisham, director of Space Command’s Redstone Transition Team and a longtime Huntsville resident, the progress represents more than a change of address.

“This isn’t just a move; it’s a clear demonstration of this command’s commitment to executing the President’s directive with the speed and decisiveness our mission demands,” Grisham said.

Whiting credited the cooperation of agencies and communities involved in the transition with allowing the command to continue its mission while moving headquarters operations.

“Thanks to the incredible support shown to the command, to include the Department of the Air Force, Army Contracting Command, and Team Redstone – alongside communities in both Colorado and Alabama, our team has remained laser focused on sustaining full mission execution while keeping our headquarters relocation moving on-time and on-budget,” he said. “It is a testament to the professionalism and dedication of our people that we accomplished this while advancing national interests on-orbit alongside allies and partners and delivering space effects to the Joint Force.”

According to Space Command, it has continued providing military space capabilities to warfighters around the world without interruption during the relocation, including during operations INHERENT RESOLVE, ABSOLUTE RESOLVE and EPIC FURY.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said the department has focused on moving the relocation forward while maintaining Space Command’s mission.

“Over the past year, the Department of War has carried out the President’s direction to relocate U.S. Space Command with speed and common sense, identifying and leveraging every opportunity to cut through red tape and bureaucracy in order to get the job done,” Hegseth said. “As we continue to execute this move, we do so with the same unrelenting focus on sustaining America’s dominance in space and expanding our lethality in all warfighting domains.”

The Huntsville transition began almost immediately after Trump’s Sept. 2, 2025, announcement that Space Command headquarters would move from Colorado Springs to Redstone Arsenal. Within 24 hours, command representatives were on the ground meeting with local community leaders and developing a path forward.

A year later, with more than 140 personnel already at Redstone, mission operations underway and work progressing toward a permanent headquarters, Space Command’s footprint in the Rocket City continues to grow.

Sherri Blevins is a reporter for 256 Today.

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