Photo By Christine Mitchell | Maj. Gen. Terry Grisham assumed the role of assistant deputy commanding general for...... read more read more
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REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. — Maj. Gen. Terry Grisham assumed duties as Army Materiel Command’s assistant deputy commanding general for National Guard Affairs Feb. 1, and it’s a role he’s aspired for.
The primary mission of the National Guard is defense to civil support capabilities as well as supporting state governor priorities. He’s affiliated with the Alabama Army National Guard, which is made up of 10,500 Soldiers, Airmen and civilians. Alabama is also home to the only two-star National Guard theater sustainment command in the nation, located at Fort McClellan.
He acts as the senior spokesperson for the National Guard at AMC, holding a seat at the table to speak on all matters impacting it, including coordinating support and providing guidance on logistics, funding for missions, equipment, training, deployment and policy.
“We’re in a very dynamic environment right now,” Grisham said. “We’ve got to go back to the basics, where can we make a difference, get the small wins and capitalize on them.”
No stranger to the area, Grisham, an Ardmore native, was very familiar with military life as his father served in the Guard as a technician for three decades.
“I grew up with it. In the 70s, 80s, 90s, the Guard was about hometown people. There was an armory in every county, and most often the Soldiers that were assigned to that unit were local. Now that’s not the case,” he said.
He explained that significant downsizing and consolidation happened in the 90s which led to what more closely resembles the Guard force structure we have today.
Always knowing he wanted to join, Grisham forged his own path to enlist in the Army as a heavy equipment operator in December 1983, straight out of 11th grade. Eight years later, he received his commission as a second lieutenant from the Alabama Military Academy Officer Candidate School.
Commanding every level from second lieutenant to brigadier general, as well as serving 39 years as an Army civilian, Grisham is poised to make an impact representing the National Guard at AMC. He said he was particularly excited to step into the role because of the relationships he has built with many staff members working so closely in the area.
“I really like logistics and being at Aviation and Missile Command [also at Redstone Arsenal] for some time, I am very familiar with the challenges and the mission that AMC faces,” he said. “Not only are you building relationships, but you are opening the eyes of Soldiers to hone their skills and look at things differently.”
The priorities of this complex role, simply put, are to “Integrate, educate, and capitalize on opportunities for the Guard,” according to Grisham.
He explained that partnering the Active Army and the National Guard is critical to the success of current and future missions, but especially the Army’s current mission of preparing to fight in the Indo-Pacific theater. Grisham said a big win for the Guard right now is that they’re “at the table” with Southern Command and participating in South American training exercises.
Preparing for any mission requires training, and Operation Patriot Press provides a unique training opportunity. Patriot Press is an annual, large-scale exercise designed to spotlight and test the total force integration of the Army Reserve, National Guard, and active-duty components in realistic training situations. The exercise is overseen by AMC and Grisham is leveraging opportunities to pair units together for the exercise.
“Operation Patriot Press is one thing we’ve been doing that’s been a great success. How can we grow that?” Grisham poised.
AMC wants to utilize Operation Patriot Press to support the Rapid Removal of Excess, or R2E, which helps alleviate the burden of excess and obsolete equipment, allowing units to focus their time and energy on training and keeps them ready to rapidly mobilize and conduct missions.
“You’ve got all this equipment at one site that needs to be consolidated to another site, and it would cost a lot of money to hire a contractor to do that,” Grisham explained. “We want to leverage Patriot Press to utilize the annual training event to move the equipment from Point A to Point B. It’s great training for the units and it gives the Soldiers an opportunity to do what they signed up to do, which is exercising all the staff functions of an operation.”
Grisham defined success in this role as better connecting industry partners with the Guard force, which is currently a “training solution gap.” His efforts will tie together units with industry resources to support training events and improve personnel and equipment readiness.
This dedication to strengthening the Guard extends beyond logistical solutions; Grisham's leadership philosophy emphasizes fostering individual growth and collaboration within the organization.
“If a door opens, I’m going to step in,” he said. I don’t claim to know everything and I don’t take credit. Because I know surrounding yourself with good people is the key, as well as treating people with dignity and respect. And I’ve never been one to hold someone down—if there’s an opportunity to push someone out of the nest and go do something great somewhere else, I will champion that. It’s better for the greater organization when you let people shine.”
| Date Taken: | 04.04.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.04.2025 16:20 |
| Story ID: | 494627 |
| Location: | REDSTONE ARSENAL, ALABAMA, US |
| Web Views: | 71 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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