Governor Kay Ivey has ordered that the United States Space Force flag be flown at all Alabama rest areas and welcome centers from December 17 through December 23, 2025, to honor the branch’s sixth birthday in a “weeklong, statewide show of support.”
“The U.S. Space Force is a critical branch of our military with a serious mission, and it deserves to be recognized as such. Alabama understands the importance of defending our nation in every domain, leading in space development and setting the pace for innovation,” Ivey said. “We are honoring the men and women carrying out this great mission and marking the Space Force’s birthday with the respect it has earned by displaying the Space Force flag statewide. Alabama is proud to fly it.”
The U.S. Space Force was officially established as the sixth branch of the U.S. armed forces on December 20, 2019, with the primary focus of consolidating “satellite acquisition, budget and workforce from across more than 60 different organizations into a unified, efficient, effective service for space operations,” according to the branch’s official website.
Trump’s creation of the Space Force marked the first time a new branch had been added to the U.S. military since the U.S. Air Force was established in 1947.
In September, the Trump administration announced that it would be returning U.S. Space Command back to Huntsville, Alabama after the Biden administration relocated the headquarters to Colorado in 2023. The move was celebrated by state leaders as a win for Alabama and national security, with the headquarters bringing around 1,200 military jobs back to the state.
According to Ivey’s office, the governor’s weeklong celebration of the Space Force is a symbol of her ongoing commitment to keeping Alabama involved at the forefront of the branch’s development.
“Since President Trump directed the Department of Defense (now War Department) in 2018 to begin planning for this new military branch, Governor Ivey has been a strong and consistent voice advocating for Alabama’s role in America’s space and national security missions,” Ivey’s office said in an official press release. “This includes her leadership in supporting the decision to bring U.S. Space Command Headquarters home to Alabama. That commitment reflects a broader, statewide effort to ensure Alabama remains at the forefront of protecting the nation across every domain.”
