According to Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.), Nebraska lawmakers were forewarned that the Air Force’s new cyber headquarters would not call Offutt Air Force Base its home before the service’s public announcement Friday that it wants to place 24th Air Force at Lackland AFB, Tex. In a May 15 statement, Nelson said, too, that he “assumed they would make sure this time that the criteria matched the decision,” referring to USAF’s earlier decision to place the new Air Force Global Strike Command at Barksdale AFB, La.—a decision sharply criticized by Nebraska elected officials. Nelson continued: “The truth of the matter is that Air Force officials view Offutt Air Force Base as primarily the home of United States Strategic Command, a unified command. While they maintain the 55th Wing at Offutt, their priorities are enriching Air Force bases that primarily support Air Force operations.”
Three of four congressional committees with influence over defense policy have voted to change the official name of the Department of Defense to the Department of War—but final approval of the Pentagon rebrand is months away and not yet assured.