With millions in an upcoming budget request earmarked for Colorado installations, Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink said at a press conference Friday that the state remained a key player in expanding operational capacity.

“This move serves as our tangible commitment to the state,” he said.

Meink highlighted several planned projects, including a $250 million Space Force Operations Facility to be built at Schriever Space Force Base.

The facility will support projects like “Golden Dome, space-based reconnaissance, and all-domain command and control,” according to a statement from U.S. Rep. Jeff Crank, R-Colorado Springs.

A key position with decision-making power about the allocation of Space Force funding will also soon move to El Paso County, he said. The officer, an Infrastructure Portfolio Acquisition Executive, has broad financial authority for certain programs.

Crank and other local leaders in attendance said the planned investments helped take the sting out of the Trump Administration’s decision last September to move the U.S. Space Command from Colorado Springs to Huntsville, Ala.

“When Space Command moved, we took a hit,” said Crank.

He said that the Space Force Operations Facility would generate about 2,500 civilian jobs, a reversal he attributed to the community keeping “a cool head” about the Huntsville announcement.

“They didn’t throw a temper tantrum and were better off for it,” Crank said.

Earlier this year, local government leaders, including the El Paso County Board of Commissioners and the Colorado Springs City Council, signed onto an amicus brief opposing a lawsuit filed by Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser against the Trump Administration over the move of Space Command.

Space Command is a different entity from the U.S. Space Force, which has retained its presence in Colorado. Drawing personnel from across the military branches, Space Command protects U.S. interests in space. According to previous Gazette reporting, Space Command’s move will take about 1,000 jobs and could cost billions of dollars.

Meink said the latest plans for the Space Force include a significant increase in personnel, roughly doubling the number of Guardians in the next five years.

The growth should correspond to an increase in Colorado service members, he said.

In a statement after the announcement, Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade said the region was the “premier place” for the U.S. space mission.

“Today’s announcement is a strong vote of confidence in Colorado Springs and the critical role our community plays in America’s space and national security missions,” he wrote.