The U.S. Air Force is delaying re-enlistment bonuses and planned moves for its personnel after Alabama lawmakers blocked funding for the service amid a political quarrel over the location of Space Command’s new headquarters.
The Air Force is taking actions “to avoid exhausting funds” and is putting off orders for planned change of station moves for personnel as well as bonuses for airmen who re-enlist, the Air Force said in a statement Monday.
“The Air Force continues to work through additional options to avoid the funding shortfall and will provide more information when available,” it said.
The decision came after Alabama lawmakers moved to curtail funding for the Air Force until the service’s secretary makes a public announcement on the location of the new Space Command headquarters. The facility originally was planned for Colorado but during the administration of President Donald Trump, the Air Force revised its plans and opted to place the headquarters in Alabama after reviewing six possible locations. Trump has claimed credit for the change in plans.
The Air Force said it faces “higher than projected personnel costs” but did not say why that was the case and did not mention recent moves in Congress to curtail funding.
NBC News previously reported that Biden administration officials have signaled privately to Defense Department leaders and lawmakers that they are considering reversing the planned move to Alabama over concerns about the state’s strict anti-abortion laws.
Lawmakers from Colorado, meanwhile, have pushed to build the Space Command in their state. The command’s temporary headquarters is currently in Colorado.
Under the actions announced Monday, Air Force personnel who already have orders to move this month will be able to go ahead with their new assignments, but all other change-of-station orders after July will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and some planned departures will be postponed, the Air Force said.
Citing the funding shortfall, the Air Force also said it will suspend re-enlistment bonuses for airmen for the fiscal year ending in the fall. But the service will allow airmen to extend their current enlistment into the next fiscal year of 2024 to permit them to secure a bonus at that point.
The funding squeeze also meant the Air Force will have to temporarily pause a new bonus program for aviators, the service said. The program plans to “restructure” the program and reopen it within two weeks, it said.
