09.10.20

Hoeven Meets With Space Force Chief of Staff, Outlines Opportunities for North Dakota to support New Armed Service Branch

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven, co-chair of the Senate Air Force Caucus and a member of the Senate Defense Appropriations Committee, this week met with Gen. John Raymond, chief of staff for the U.S. Space Force, and discussed opportunities for North Dakota to assist in standing up the new branch of the armed forces. Hoeven highlighted how the Space Force can build off of the existing Air Force missions at the Grand Forks Air Force Base and the Cavalier Air Force Station. Further, the senator stressed the University of North Dakota’s (UND) partnerships with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Department of Defense, which could be leveraged to help meet the technology and workforce development needs of the Space Force.

“North Dakota is well-positioned to aid in the development of the U.S. Space Force,” said Hoeven. “Between our leadership in UAS, the world-class aerospace school at UND, the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance mission in Grand Forks and the Space Warning Squadron in Cavalier, we have the right expertise to train the workforce and develop the technology needed to stand up this new branch of the armed services. That’s what we outlined to General Raymond in our Air Force Caucus meeting this week, and I look forward to continue working with him to advance these opportunities for North Dakota further.”

In addition to his role as co-chair of the Air Force Caucus, Hoeven is joining the Space Force Caucus announced by his colleagues this week, led by Senator Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) and co-chaired by Senators Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.).

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