REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. -- Most Redstone service employees never get to see the depth and breadth of the missions here on the arsenal, but Monday, Nov. 20 was the exception.
A tour, organized by the U.S. Army Materiel Command, gave service providers from across Redstone Arsenal garrison, Civilian Personnel Advisory Center, and Morale, Welfare and Recreation offices a better understanding of the missions they support through the people they serve on the arsenal.
Four-star commander and the Army's senior logistician, Gen. Gus Perna, hosted nearly 30 employees at the U.S. Army Materiel Command. He translated the purpose of the tour by sharing the story of a paper runner who, when asked what his job at NASA was, said it was "to put a man on the moon."
"All he did was deliver paper back and forth to different offices," said Perna. "But he didn't see his job as any less important than the scientists and engineers. He knew inherently that putting a man on the moon took an entire team effort."
Perna said the same is true of those employees on Redstone Arsenal who provide services -- from child care to personnel to public works -- to the workforce.
"What you do here at Redstone is critical," he said. "What you do -- the services you provide -- allow us to support the warfighter and ensure readiness, all around the world every day. You contribute to readiness."
The half-day tour showcased the global missions of Army Materiel Command, Redstone Garrison, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, and Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center.
"The Redstone tour was fantastic," said Gregory E. Templeton, general manager at the Redstone Exchange. "I found it very informative to see what all of the tenants on the Arsenal do every day and how they support the mission. Gen. Perna's remarks were impactful about how the entire workforce has a piece in the success of the mission."
Army Materiel Command hosted a second Redstone Tour Tuesday, Nov. 21 to expose and educate the elected officials of nearby towns and cities across the Tennessee Valley to the various missions and operations happening in their backyards.
"We at Redstone Arsenal are partners with the community," Perna told the group of 12 mayors and county commissioners. "Our workforce live in your cities right here in the Tennessee Valley, but their impact on our national defense and national security is global."
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