Sen. Wayne Allard (R-Colo.) has received written assurance from Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld that Air Force Space Command will remain a four-star command. “I wanted an unmistakable commitment from the Air Force that we would continue to pursue US national interests in space, and I got it,” said Allard. The Senator had written to Rumsfeld last month, suggesting that DOD was not paying “sufficient attention” to space issues and asked specifically about the status of the Space Command slot. Speculation that the command was to be downgraded started earlier this year when the Air Force failed to nominate a replacement for AFSPC commander Gen. Lance Lord prior to his retirement. The acting commander, Lt. Gen. Frank Klotz assured reporters earlier this month that a four-star would come in due course.
Members of Congress from both parties expressed frustration and dismay over the abrupt and still-unexplained firing last month of Air Force Gen. Timothy Haugh from his dual role as head of U.S. Cyber Command and director of the National Security Agency.