Photo By Alyssa Crockett | Maj. Gen. Gavin Lawrence, Army Materiel Command deputy chief of staff for logistics...... read more read more
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HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- The Arsenal’s next senior commander told the story of Redstone through its numbers at the installation’s keynote address during the annual Redstone Update, Dec. 11 at the Von Braun Center Saturn Ballroom.
“Our theme today is ‘Redstone by the Numbers,’ and I am thrilled to share some of our successes over the past year,” Maj. Gen. Gavin Lawrence, deputy chief of staff of operations for Army Materiel Command, said.
Lawrence, who moved to the Tennessee Valley in August and was confirmed by the Senate this fall to be the next AMC deputy commanding general and senior commander of Redstone Arsenal, said he has been blown away by the installation’s impact.
“Redstone is known as one of the best Army installations, but we know this Arsenal is much more than that. It is a Federal Center of Excellence, home to 65 organizations, each making a difference in the security, defense and future of our nation,” he said. “The work done on the Arsenal is impactful, reaching across the globe and supporting some of our nation’s top priorities.”
Lawrence highlighted the growth of the FBI’s presence on the Arsenal, with 90 acres cleared for construction of the academic zone on the south side of Redstone, which will create 411 permanent work seats and 800 training seats.
“Between the south and north campuses, FBI will annually host 3,800 people on Redstone Arsenal for advanced training, which has been described as the graduate and Ph.D. level for their workforce and other law enforcement partners,” he said. “Think about the impact those additional visitors will have, not only on the local economy, but also the ability to further show off this community and what all it has to offer.”
He also noted the record year for Security Assistance Command, with $42.8 billion in new foreign military sales cases, and Army Contracting Command’s execution of over $84.5 billion in contract actions for the entire Army.
In terms of impact to the state, he highlighted Redstone’s contribution of $36.2 billion to Alabama’s economy and its role in providing over 90,000 jobs in the region, underscoring its status as an economic powerhouse.
“The work we do on Redstone does not happen alone; our industry partners are absolutely critical to our success,” Lawrence said.
This assignment is Lawrence’s first to the Tennessee Valley and he said he has never been somewhere with a civic-military relationship as strong as Redstone and the local community.
“I’m excited to experience all this community has to offer, and we have a lot to look forward to in 2025,” he said.
The Army will celebrate its 250th birthday in June 2025, but for Redstone it will be a yearlong celebration of the nation’s oldest service and all who have been a part of it. Events will include an Army Ball hosted by the Association of the U.S. Army, a party at Redstone Gateway with the Golden Knights jump team, music and fireworks and more community events throughout the year.
In a bid to enhance community engagement, Lawrence introduced the new My Army Post App, MAPA, designed to keep the community informed about Redstone’s activities.
“This app is designed to keep you connected with everything happening at Redstone,” he announced, encouraging attendees to download it. “You’ll see live gate statuses, a variety of resources from recreation and food to youth support and information on our organization.”
Lawrence’s remarks were at the event’s lunch, which followed the morning briefs by Redstone’s tennant commands – FBI, Space and Missile Defense Command, Army Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Redstone Garrison, the Contested Logistics Cross Functional Team and a panel discussion on Driving Innovation Together with AI and Advanced Analytics.
| Date Taken: | 12.12.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 12.17.2024 12:01 |
| Story ID: | 487697 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 23 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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