RedstoneRocket www.theredstonerocket.com December 18, 2019 Vol. 68 No. 50 PUBLISHED IN THE INTEREST OF PERSONNELMILITARY AT SCENEREDSTONE ARSENAL, AL Leadership development graduates learn from experience By SKIP VAUGHN Rocket editor [email protected] Toftoy Hall’s parking lot was full Dec. 11 for good reason. Twenty-seven workers from through- out Redstone graduated from Interme- diate Leader Investment for Tomorrow. The annual 14-month course is managed by the Aviation and Missile Command COMMUNITY NEWS G1, Training and Career Management Rocket staffers select Division. favorite stories of year. “It was great,” graduate Darren Hes- PAGE 5 ter, a logistics management specialist in the operations offi ce of the Test, Mea- surement and Diagnostic Equipment Activity, said. “A wide range of experi- ences, getting to meet a lot of new faces throughout different commands and growing personally and professionally. Photo by Skip Vaughn Great staff.” Awaiting their turn to receive their completion certificates are, from left, Gaylon Partain, Kiera Spann and Jason Watson. They were among 27 graduates of Inter- See Graduates on page 28 mediate Leader Investment for Tomorrow. Energy, housing, expansion among year’s headlines By KATIE DAVIS SKELLEY Staff writer/Social media MILITARY SCENE [email protected] RedstoneRocket Army reduces costs www.theredstonerocket.com March 6, 2019 Vol. 68 No. 09 PUBLISHED IN THE INTEREST OF PERSONNEL AT REDSTONE ARSENAL, AL via value engineering. Redstone Arsenal took a blast into the past in 2019 as it joined PAGE 21 Huntsville – and the world – in celebrating the 50th anniversary of Post leaders, Hunt partners address housing issue By SKIP VAUGHN the Apollo lunar landing. Redstone growth also made the front page Rocket editor this year and with the workforce now sitting at 44,000, expect to see [email protected] Redstone housing residents can expect to receive a call from their organization’s leader more on that in our pages next year – especially as FBI presence ex- or the Garrison commander with an offer to personally visit their home. The leadership visit, accompanied by pands and Redstone awaits a decision on the new home of Space maintenance staff, is part of the Armywide COMMUNITY NEWS effort to ensure quality and safe housing. Black history observance Command. Home visits are planned through March 18. About 100 people attended a Redstone traces great migration. housing town hall Feb. 27 in Heiser Hall. PAGE 5 Here are the top stories of the year. Redstone organization leaders conducted the meeting with representatives from Hunt Mili- tary Communities, which has managed Red- stone housing since 2007 under the Residen- tial Community Initiative for privatization. Post leaders, Hunt partners address housing issue, March “We know this is a problem within mili- tary housing and we’re troubled by the re- ports across the Army. Just like Army senior 6 leadership are committed to fixing this, here at Redstone, the senior leaders are commit- Photo by Skip Vaughn ted to making sure that you have quality Redstone Senior Commander Lt. Gen. Ed Daly speaks to housing residents during By Skip Vaughn, Rocket editor See Housing on page 13 the town hall meeting Feb. 27 in Heiser Hall. Redstone housing residents can expect to receive a call from their Redstone reinforces support for area schools MILITARY SCENE organization’s leader or the Garrison commander with an offer to By AMY GUCKEEN TOLSON Air-to-ground missiles Assistant editor delivered to Army. personally visit their home. [email protected] PAGE 17 Real superheroes don’t wear capes. Rather, they stand in the The leadership visit, accompanied by maintenance staff, is part of trenches every day – better known as a school classroom – molding the next generation. “Opportunity, accomplishment, success – everything good that the Armywide effort to ensure quality and safe housing. Home visits happens in a young person’s life starts with education,” Garrison Commander Col. Kelsey Smith said. “The student who can read are planned through March 18. and write can teach new ideas. A student who masters mathemat- WIN OR LOSE ics can set the budget or engineer our next technological marvel. A student who grasps the knowledge of science can invent life-saving About 100 people attended a Redstone housing town hall Feb. 27 medical devices. It all starts with education.” Space Jam orbits league Redstone Arsenal leaders welcomed Tennessee Valley educa- tors to the Community Activity Center Thursday for the Child in Heiser Hall. Redstone organization leaders conducted the meet- and Youth Services’ Education Appreciation Luncheon, an annual opportunity to recognize the installation’s partnerships with area with balanced attack. schools, its commitment to furthering education in North Ala- Photo by Bryan Bacon WIN OR LOSE bama, and the hard work teachers and administrators do on a daily Garrison Commander Col. Kelsey Smith chats with Madison We Dem Boyz back basis in service to their students. County Schools Superintendent Matt Massey and Huntsville to try for four-peat. PAGE 35 See Headlines on page 18 “I can’t thank you enough for what you do every day for our City Schools Board of Education Member Beth Wilder at the t d t ” id S ith k t k “Y t th f d ti f PAGE 29 2 Redstone Rocket December 18, 2019 Redstone Arsenal: Federal Center of Excellence RocketViews Letter to editor: Veterans advocate has dream year Society should learn from children’s innocence What is the American dream? Is the retired Brig. Gen. Bob Drolet’s “Ser- I was sitting on the fl oor in a room sur- American dream making lots of money vice to Veterans” award. I am always rounded by children. and become rich? Or is it that you be- grateful of living the American dream, They ranged in age from 18 months to six Snippets come a famous person? Or you achieve and I cannot ask for more, but God has weeks. It wasn’t exactly my comfort zone. By Jonathan Stinson high-ranking in the armed forces or in given me so much more than I have ever I was taking photos for the Rocket’s cover- Assistant editor the one of the large corporations? If dreamed of and I cherish every moment. age of the recent Parent’s Night Out. anyone would ask me for my American My family’s volunteer work also af- It’s not that I don’t like kids. I just don’t dream, I would say none of the above. forded us as the 2019 Veterans Organi- fi nd myself around them often. toys, or he just wanted to make sure I had a My American dream is, that foremost, zation of the Year for “Legacy 4 Korean My cousin just had a baby a couple of toy that I liked to play with, and once I did live as the citizen of the free world, War Veterans Foundation.” It is nothing weeks ago, and that was the fi rst baby in his job was done. freely serve our country through serving that we have done, but it is the sacrifi ces our family since my other cousin was born our communities, honor our veterans, of Korean War veterans who served our Later, it made me think about the last time 20-something years ago. I was concerned and determined to make and inspire young people. country that have been long forgotten. She asked if I wanted to hold it, and I de- Honoring our veterans, I take it as Both awards, I would like to dedicate it sure someone else had what they needed. clined. The last thing I need to do is break I’m not going to lie, that’s not my default privilege and honor because we are free to them for their service to our country. my aunt’s fi rst and probably only grandchild. and no one dictates to us that we must. May God bless them all! Merry Christ- response like it was for that child. But kids will teach you things, won’t they? A minute or two later, another little one In doing so, recently, I was recognized mas and happy New Year to all! I was sitting off to myself on the fl oor with for our community’s most prestigious KC Bertling scooted his way over to me, looked up, and the camera to my eye when one little guy put his arms up in the air in the universal sign walked – the best he could – over to me and for “pick me up.” shoved a toy in my face. I told him thank you, sat it on the ground, This child didn’t know me from Adam, played with him for a couple of seconds, but I mean, what are you going to do? So, I showed him how it worked, and then went picked him up. back to shooting photos. That takes a level of implicit trust on the Final Salute A few seconds later, he was back with an- kid’s part, doesn’t it? other toy in my face. So, rinse, wash, and re- I mean, when’s the last time you ap- Here is a list of Tennessee Valley veterans who have died recently. The Red- peat, I did the same thing. proached a total stranger and just spoken to stone Rocket salutes them for their service. Then he came back with another one. At them or in most cases, even made eye contact this point, I was accumulating quite the toy with them? Sgt. 1st Class Robert E. “Andy” Anderson, retired Army and Vietnam vet- collection. It made me think – and this is about as eran So I thought well, maybe he wants me to close to a holiday message as I’ll ever get – July 14, 1941 to Dec.