In the heart of the Rocket City, the Redstone Arsenal stands as a symbol of innovation, collaboration, and national defense. This year’s Annual Update, hosted at the Von Braun Center, unfolded as a transformative chapter, marked by significant expansions, cutting-edge facilities, and a vision that extends beyond the horizon.

Facilitated by the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce, the Annual Redstone Update serves as a keyhole, offering a sneak peek into the economic engine that fuels half of the Huntsville metro and employs over 42,000 people. This year’s event marked the second annual update for Senior Mission Commander of Redstone Arsenal, Christopher Mohan, whose promotion was approved by the U.S. Senate shortly before the previous year’s update.

The Chamber’s commitment to pulling back the curtain on Redstone Arsenal’s operations is not just a showcase of growth but a testament to the integral role the Arsenal plays in shaping the region’s economic landscape.

FBI’s commanding presence

The numbers tell a story of such momentum and growth: 1,985 FBI employees currently shaping the future on Redstone Arsenal, three buildings under construction, and a vision that aims to host 5,000 full-time employees by the end of the decade. Johnnie Sharp, the FBI’s senior officer in Huntsville, aptly referred to Redstone Arsenal as the bureau’s “unofficial second headquarters.”

“We currently have 20 out of our 30 FBI headquarters divisions that have a physical presence on Redstone Arsenal,” remarked Sharp during the Annual Update.

This statement underscores the Arsenal’s evolving role, transcending its physicality to become a strategic nerve center for the FBI’s global mission.

Johnnie Sharp, the FBI’s senior officer in Huntsville, addresses the crowd at the 2023 Annual Redstone Update

Sharp’s address at the Annual Redstone Update also touched on the physical construction updates and ventured into the essence of FBI Redstone’s mission.

“FBI Redstone supports the key development of FBI employee skill sets needed to complete our mission not in just the U.S., but around the globe,” emphasized Sharp.

The existing structures on FBI’s North Campus and the soon-to-be-completed Innovation Center signify more than just architectural milestones. Sharp highlighted the Innovation Center as a “real wild moment” for the FBI, a space dedicated to training, cyber threat intelligence, digital forensics, and analytical tool development.

“The Innovation Center will be the epicenter of the FBI’s technology, infrastructure, and tool development, centralizing our tech talent and tools in a connected campus environment,” Sharp envisaged.

The center, with its 22,000 square foot Kinetic Cyber Range, promises a leap into next-generation assets, addressing evolving cyber threats and data exploitation.

Beyond the numbers of personnel relocation and building updates, the FBI’s impact resonates in the community’s hospitality sector – hotels, restaurants, and stores catering to the needs of an expanding workforce.

“We currently have 1,900 personnel on the ground and are presently on track to have roughly 2,600 total personnel here by the end of next year,” Sharp mentioned.

A tapestry of growth for new partnerships

Redstone Arsenal, the workplace for more than 45,000 people in the Tennessee Valley, pulsates with growth. The introduction of new organizations, employees, and building projects signifies a dynamic ecosystem.

“The Arsenal also welcomed two new organizations: the Space Development Agency and the Contested Logistics Cross Functional Team,” highlighted Army Lieutenant General Chris Mohan during the Annual Update. These additions, he stressed, are driving forward technological leaps, essential for the nation’s defense against any threat in any environment.

Army Lieutenant General Chris Mohan discusses key additions and new partnerships at the 2023 Redstone Update

The introduction of new organizations, employees, and building projects signifies a dynamic ecosystem. The Space Development Agency and the Contested Logistics Cross Functional Team, welcomed onto the Arsenal, are hailed as essential drivers of technological leaps.

The update also saw the partnership between COPT Defense Properties and the Huntsville Hospital Health System. This collaboration signaled a proactive approach to address the primary care shortage and underscores not only a commitment to the Arsenal’s workforce but also to the broader community’s well-being.

The collaboration aligns with the Arsenal’s multifaceted growth, reflecting the interconnectedness of defense, healthcare, and community support. Speakers at the 2023 Update made sure to emphasize that these partnerships become integral in creating a sustainable ecosystem that benefits both the mission-driven workforce and the surrounding community.

NASA’s commitment to the cosmos

Speakers also took time out of the busy agenda to reaffirm Marshall Space Flight Center’s (MSFC) commitment to the growth of the space program.

As the nation peers into the cosmos, Marshall, an essential part of NASA’s recent success, took center stage with its commitment to the Artemis program. Joseph Pelfrey, MSFC’s acting director, shared the anticipation for Artemis II’s 2024 launch and highlighted the agency’s role in sending humans to the moon and Mars.

“What’s more inspiring than sending humans to the moon and on to Mars? It’s a tremendous time to be a part of the agency and we have some big goals as a country that Marshall is leading the way to support achieving those goals,” said Pelfrey.

Looking towards the future

The Redstone Update, a testament to Huntsville’s collaborative spirit, illuminated the Arsenal’s role as a major industry driver. With agencies like the FBI, NASA, U.S. Army Materiel Command, and U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command, Redstone Arsenal’s impact extends beyond regional borders, contributing significantly to federal spending.

The FBI’s expanding campus, USASMDC’s commitment to employee engagement, and collaborations with entities like COPT Defense Properties showcase an Arsenal that is evolving, adapting, and embracing the challenges of the future. As Redstone Arsenal propels itself into a new era, the echoes of its growth resonate not just within the confines of Huntsville but reverberate on a national and global scale.

For more information, please visit home.army.mil/redstone.