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Redstone Arsenal, Ala. -- The installation's incoming senior commander thanked a group of community leaders for their decades of support to the arsenal and left them with an ask- what can be done to continue mutual success for the arsenal and the community?
During a luncheon Tuesday at The Summit, Maj. Gen. Gavin Lawrence, Army Materiel Command’s director of operations, hosted the Redstone Community Relations Committee, emphasizing the critical relationship between the installation and its local partners.
During his remarks, Lawrence challenged the committee to consider how they can support the installation’s continued success as he underscored the strength of the existing partnership.
“We have a true partnership based on trust, respect and a shared vision for the future,” he said.
The Redstone Community Relations Committee was established after World War II to ensure favorable conditions for the future growth of Redstone Arsenal. It’s comprised mostly of longstanding community and business leaders. In its early years, the committee worked on key issues such as race relations across Huntsville. In more recent years, the committee has supported Base Realignment and Closure moves that have grown the arsenal into a diverse federal center of excellence.
“This committee was created to do the work behind the scenes, wherever the community sees a need,” said committee co-chair Mike Ward. “It’s all about addressing challenges and opportunities to make the future even brighter.”
Lawrence emphasized the significance of both Redstone and the entire Tennessee Valley region as a hub for technological advancement.
“This community is where innovation happens,” Lawrence said, acknowledging past achievements while stressing the need for sustained momentum. “But we can’t rest on our success. There is a competition for talent, investment and innovation. We need to ask, ‘how do we achieve and sustain momentum?’ The answer is here within this committee.”
Acknowledging the rapid changes within the Army, Lawrence reinforced the importance of partnerships and continued community support to navigate the evolving landscape.
“The Army is transforming at a pace we've never seen before,” he said. “But with all the focus on technology and rapid advancements, make no mistake, people remain our secret sauce and it’s the power of our relationships that will ensure our success.”
Lawrence prompted the members with a question of what they can do to address Redstone’s priorities of infrastructure, education, health care and quality of life.
“These focus areas impact the region’s growth and are what makes people want to move here…and stay,” Lawrence said.
The RCRC luncheon served as a forum for dialogue and collaboration, reaffirming the commitment of Redstone Arsenal and the surrounding community to a shared future of innovation and success.
Committee members also received updates on new developments happening on Redstone through briefings provided by the FBI, NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, the Program Executive Office Missiles & Space and the 2nd Recruiting Brigade.
| Date Taken: | 08.20.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 08.21.2025 13:33 |
| Story ID: | 546151 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 18 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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