HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) – Dozens of U.S. Space Command personnel gathered in Huntsville this week for crucial transition talks as the Redstone Arsenal Mission Integration Seminar got underway, offering incoming employees a firsthand look at North Alabama before packing and moving begin.
The multi-day seminar, centered at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, aims to help personnel currently stationed in Colorado Springs learn more about the community and decide whether to relocate to the Rocket City.
While planning and site work for the permanent headquarters continue, local officials and military leaders focused on reaching the civilian and military workforce that will form the backbone of the command operations. Maj. Gen. Terry Grisham, head of the transition team at Redstone Arsenal, told attendees during a panel discussion that the region’s growth, career trajectory, and quality of life offer too much potential to pass up.
For some attending, the visit solidified their plans.
“I am absolutely moving here,” said Christopher DeWitt, a Colorado Springs-based Space Command employee. “This is my fourth trip since the president has made the announcement that the command is coming here, and I have fallen in love with it more and more each visit. I’m excited at the option to move here.”
Following Tuesday’s panel sessions, attendees boarded tour buses for an inside look at Redstone Arsenal. The itinerary featured stops at Army Materiel Command, NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, and historic launch facilities across the installation.
Arsenal leadership emphasized that support systems are already being mobilized to ease the transition for arriving families.
“So we’ll be here to welcome them. We’re gonna help provide office space, areas for them to continue to work and do their mission, and we also provide everything that the garrison has to offer,” said Col. Katherine Slingerland, Redstone Arsenal garrison commander. “I’m sort of the mayor of the base, so I get to help get them into schools, help them with any medical appointments, get them into a house, help them understand what’s available to them on the base.”
The Redstone Arsenal Mission Integration Seminar and community tours will continue through the end of the week.
Click Here to Subscribe on YouTube: Watch the latest WAFF 48 news, sports & weather videos on our YouTube channel!
Copyright 2026 WAFF. All rights reserved.