REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. -- In an unusual twist for a retirement ceremony, Maj. Terry Butler brought out all his innovative business ideas -- an urban hunter outfit, peeper pumps, military kit bag containing a "Get a Grip" pliers, and a picnic in a jar, among others -- and announced that he would be opening a business called "Retirement 2.0."
While he is, indeed, retiring, Butler's presentation, complete with models wearing his fashion designs, was all in jest as he shared a little humor with employees of the Army Contracting Command-Redstone during his retirement ceremony on Thursday, living up to his reputation for bringing excitement and fun to the workplace.
Butler is retiring after 21 years of service as a field artillery officer and then with the Acquisition Corps. He came to Redstone Arsenal in 2008 to work for the Missile Defense Agency on the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense -- more commonly known as THAAD -- program and then was assigned to ACC-Redstone in 2011. His last assignment was as deputy director for Enterprise Service Solutions Division and executive officer for the 921st Contracting Battalion for ACC-Redstone, charged with managing the day-to-day contracting functions in the Department of Defense's largest and most diverse contracting center.
Although the retirement is bittersweet, ACC-Redstone executive director Rebecca Weirick, who is also a military retiree, said Butler will now begin a "new chapter in his life, a rich chapter filled with wonder."
Weirick described Butler as an energetic "can-do officer," who is always out front leading, whether it involves a project at work or a chance to have fun. "He's the guy who gets things done," she said.
"We will miss his energy and enthusiasm, his willingness to mentor and coach, his dependable work ethics and his inspirational leadership … He brings with him so much pride and fun, and he makes the day really great."
Butler began his Army in 1995, branching into field artillery after graduating from Western Illinois University. He first served at Fort Sill, Okla., taking on assignments as platoon leader, executive officer and fire direction officer for the 2/4th Field Artillery and various other assignments at Fort Sill with a one-year assignment as the S-2 officer for the largest field artillery battalion in Korea.
In 2004, he transferred to the Acquisition Corps, and served as a test officer at the Fire Support Test Directorate, Fort Sill, before deploying to Iraq in 2007 to lead a Forward Operational Assessment Team for the Army Test and Evaluation Command. In Iraq, he led a team that tested new fielded combat systems.
When he returned from Iraq, Butler was assigned to MDA at Redstone to be the Launcher Division assistant program manager for THAAD. In 2009, he was selected by the THAAD program manager to be the fielding officer for the first two THAAD battery's to be located at Fort Bliss, Texas. After he fielded those batteries, he joined the ACC-Redstone team and was first assigned to lead employees in the Base and Operations Services division, which oversees 2,100 contract actions valued more than a $.5 billion.
"You've made a lasting impact on this command and on the Army. It's quite a journey that you are completing today," Weirick said.
Butler, who received the Meritorious Service Medal and the Order of St. Barbara among other honors, told the audience that many have been asking him about his future plans.
"The military has been my life. Every step I've taken has been working with and for Soldiers," he said.
"I've always made every decision with the understanding that they affect real people who will bear the brunt of my decisions. The important thing is to just do what's right. But it can be hard to know what that means … I've managed to do what's right with happiness and not take things to seriously. If you love what you do, then everything else is easy."
He expressed his appreciation for all the friends, mentors, coaches, colleagues and co-workers who have helped him along that way, and especially his brother and sister-in-law, Dr. Tim and Christy Butler, who stepped in to care and mentor him following the untimely deaths of their parents.
After modeling his innovative fashions and presenting a Snoopy popcorn popper to a co-worker, Butler said, "I wanted to inject a little fun and laughter in today's ceremony. I've been told if you leave them laughing they will always remember you … Maj. Butler, out."
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