Tim Throop, Explosives Safety Manager at the U.S. Army Redstone Test Center, has been named the Army Test and Evaluation Command’s Mission Support Employee of the Year for Fiscal Year 2024.

REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. (June 6, 2025) – Tim Throop, Explosives Safety Manager at the U.S. Army Redstone Test Center, has been named the U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command’s Mission Support Employee of the Year for Fiscal Year 2024. This prestigious award recognizes Throop’s exceptional dedication and contributions to enhancing safety and efficiency at RTC and across Redstone Arsenal.

Throop’s selection follows a string of accolades, including RTC Employee of the Quarter for the 4th Quarter of FY24, RTC Employee of the Year for FY24, and ATEC Employee of the Quarter for the 4th Quarter.

“Tim’s depth of knowledge and measured approach to every safety issue, or task assigned, is assuredly addressed in both a timely and mature manner,” said Jim Schmidt, Chief of Safety and Range Oversight at RTC. “Tim is a consummate professional and his explosive safety knowledge is unequalled by any of his peers that I have worked with on Redstone Arsenal in the past 10 years."

For the past three years as RTC’s Explosives Safety Manager, Throop has leveraged nearly 18 years of experience, including his prior service as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal Specialist in the U.S. Army, to significantly improve safety protocols and operational effectiveness.

During the 4th Quarter of FY24, Throop spearheaded efforts to synchronize RTC operations with other Redstone Arsenal tenants, particularly in the reorganization of command and control for a shared test area. This involved coordinating with multiple organizations and ensuring compliance with Department of Defense explosive safety regulations.

Recognizing the importance of a well-trained workforce, Throop provided comprehensive training to more than 20 RTC test program & integration personnel and account managers. This training focused on the planning considerations, safety standards, and explosive regulations crucial for the safe execution of ammunition testing at RTC, in accordance with Army requirements. This has empowered test coordinators and account managers with a clear understanding of the Center’s explosives safety capacity, allowing for optimized test scheduling.

Throop also recently earned his Professional Certificate in Safety and Occupational Health and Professional Certificate in Explosives Safety – Level II, demonstrating his commitment to professional development and supporting both RTC and ATEC goals.

The U.S. Army Redstone Test Center is located on Redstone Arsenal and is a subordinate command of the U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command. RTC provides technical expertise, state-of-the-art facilities, and capabilities to plan, conduct, analyze, and report the results of tests on missile and aviation systems, sensors, subsystems and components.