Rubio demands Air Force justify any plans to move special ops command out of Florida

By Michelle Vecerina

Published Jul. 27, 2023, 4:48 p.m. ET | Updated Jul. 28, 2023

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. (Photo/U.S. Senate)

Owen Girard contributed to this report.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (FLV) – Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., had language included in the Senate Defense Appropriations bill, demanding the Air Force to justify any plans to move Air Force Special Operations Command from Hurlburt Field Air Force Base, according to his office.

The Senate Defense Appropriations bill passed through a Senate Committee on Appropriations Thursday with Rubio’s language going into effect, according to Rubio’s office.

Florida Republicans Sen. Rick Scott and Rep. Matt Gaetz voiced worries this week about the Department of Air Force potentially moving their Special Operations Command off of Hurlburt Field in Okaloosa County.

Rubio’s language included in the bill said the committee “acknowledges the importance” of Air Force Special Operations Command headquartered at Hurlburt Field Air Force Base and “notes the important historic and economic role AFSOC has played in the community there for more than thirty years.”

“The Committee is concerned that the Air Force is considering a potential relocation of AFSOC headquarters and units. Therefore, the Committee directs the Secretary of the Air Force to submit a report to the Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Senate, not later than 90 days after enactment of this act, that details the impacts of such decisions,” Rubio’s language stated.

Rubio said the report the committee is directing the secretary of the Air Force to submit “shall at a minimum” include:

A detailed force structure assessment of the current Air Force Special Operations Command laydown at Hurlburt Field by unit, including the number of personnel and platforms assigned.
The annual economic impact to the local community.
A strategic assessment of Air Force Special Operations Command’s basing at Hurlburt Field.
The total projected costs associated with relocating Air Force Special Operations Command headquarters and/or units.
An assessment of the basing criteria that would inform such moves and a comparison of Hurlburt against that criteria.
A detailed basing plan to replace any transferred force structure in the out years.

The bill was passed out of the Appropriations Committee 27-1 and will head to the Senate floor for a vote. Rubio’s office said the senator’s added language will take effect.

Scott reportedly said that he, along with Gaetz and Rubio, were informed by Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall that a Friday meeting needed to be scheduled to discuss “programmatic basing actions” involving Davis Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona.

“We have said we would be willing to talk any time but have heard nothing,” Scott said. “We think they are probably talking about Hurlburt, and I assume they are talking about Special Forces.”

These assumptions come as Special Operations Commander Lt. Gen. Jim Sifle addressed his airmen and provided them resources after a report showed claims of racial disparities in the Air Force.

“We have busted our butts,” Scott said. “I have never heard from anybody in the military saying we are not fulfilling our military’s needs in Florida.”

“We are going to do everything in our power to prevent the Biden Administration from playing politics,” he said.

Gaetz stated that he would work very closely with Scott to make sure that Kendall did not move the Special Ops headquarters out of the state.

“To me, this is suspicious,” Gaetz said. “There is nothing to show Florida is not the best location to house these commands.”

“I will never let @JoeBiden play politics with Florida’s military presence,” Scott said in a Tweet. “Hurlburt’s mission is critical to our national security and communities in NWFL. We’ll fight like hell to protect it.”