Air Force considers consolidating Colorado-based 233rd Space Group

An effort to reorganize parts of the Colorado Air National Guard is receiving pushback from both guardsmen and Gov. Jared Polis, but the Air Force says it believes it will benefit the United States Space Force.

A proposal to consolidate and relocate the 233rd Space Group out of Greeley Air National Guard Station is now at the center of discussion among many Colorado service men and women.

Greeley has its own military station in Northern Colorado. The station is located on the edge of Greeley's airport in the northeast corner of the city and has served both Colorado and the United States for decades.

"You don't hear the sound of jets flying over your head day-to-day like you would a normal Air Force installation. So most people think we are just a truck stop out by the Greeley-Weld County airport," said Bill Imeraj, flight chief of the military satellite communications flight.

"I have heard so many people ask what happens here. There isn't an awareness in the community," said Grace Richards, space operator for the group.

Those at the station specialize in missile and nuclear detection. As part of Colorado's Air National Guard, most of those who work in the wing have full-time jobs in Colorado away from the military. Many work in Colorado's aerospace workforce and carry their skillsets over to the guard.

"We are the experts in this mission set," Imeraj said.

After reports surfaced of a proposal to relocate the group, a move which would also impact hundreds of guardsmen from seven states, Gov. Polis spoke out against the move.

"The danger in that is we are actually going to lose most of these people. Eighty-six percent of people said they are going to leave. They are going to be decimated, and it reduces our state preparedness," Polis said.

Polis was referring to a survey of those in the group who were asked if they would be willing to relocate from Northern Colorado in order to follow their guard work into the Space Force. A majority reported that they would rather quit the unit than be moved out of the region.

"I consider Colorado home," Richards told CBS News Colorado's Dillon Thomas. "I came over (from the Army) for the greater opportunities the Air National Guard has to offer."

Richards said she wasn't sure what decision she would make if the Air Force made the move, but said she would consider staying in Colorado.

"I love Colorado," Richards said. "I am not sure what my decision would be."

Imeraj, who comes from a family line of guardsmen, said relocating his team would require him and his family to uproot and move from a community they have come to love. He noted one of the draws of joining the Colorado guard was not having regular required transfers to other states.

Imeraj said he and his peers have developed methods of being able to defend the United States from missile and nuclear attacks from the station in Greeley, much like the work done at Buckley Space Force Base.

"The only difference between us and them is we have our equipment mounted on the back of tractor trailers," Imeraj said. "What this space group does, it is employees and jobs for Northern Colorado specifically."

In a written statement issued to CBS News Colorado, Air Force secretary Frank Kendall called the situation "awkward."

"There are roughly 700 people that are affected by this that are currently doing our designated Space Force missions serving in the National Guard. We need to resolve their status; it's awkward, the current arrangement. We've made it work for over four years now, and we'll continue to make it work but it's not ideal by any means. Our preference would be to have those people become members of the Space Force and transition, as the Reserve people that are part of the Space Force are under the new statute that was passed last year. We intend stability, in general, for these people; their units will still exist, they will still serve with basically the same conditions as part-time and full-time, and have the same benefits and everything else - but they will become part of the Space Force. The other alternative is the creation of a Space Guard. We are definitely not in favor of that. It's too small a number of people to create a large, separate institution and I think it's better for them, better for the Space Force certainly, if we simply move them into the Space Force as the Reserves are going to be moving in. We value those people and we want to get this resolved. This is an artifact of the creation of the Space Force. It's cleaning up the battlefield of the creation of the Space Force, doing what makes sense and is logical for these people. It's a unique situation and there is absolutely no intention to make any other changes with moving things out of the Guard."

The group also contributes to the community during times of natural disasters, including wildfires, floods and more.

Richards encouraged those in decision making positions to consider keeping the 233rd Space Group set in Greeley, but said she ultimately knows the best decision will be made.

"Whatever we do, it is always in the best interest of our state and nation," Richards said.