Redstone Garrison Commander, Colonel Bill Marks, speaks at Chamber luncheon

Colonel William R. Marks II emphasized community support and harmony between Madison and Redstone Arsenal in his address at the Madison Chamber of Commerce luncheon on Thursday, May 15.

By Nick Sellers | For The Record

“Each and every one of us is Team Redstone,” Colonel William R. Marks II said to a gathering of Madison Chamber of Commerce members at the May 15 luncheon.

Team Redstone, though not easily defined, refers to the network of businesses, people, employees, government figures and more that comprise Redstone Arsenal, the 38,000-acre US Army post that extends as far down as the Tennessee River.

That doesn’t leave the city of Madison out, by any means. With the 37,000 workers Redstone employs, the cities surrounding the Arsenal are intertwined in many ways with the area, which boasts a sizable garrison.

In his hour-long speech, Marks outlined the vast responsibilities he inherited when he assumed command of the garrison, or quasi-community, in July 2013.

“I will be the garrison commander, unless I screw something up, until summer of 2016,” Marks joked about his three-year contract.

The garrison services employees who live on-site, complete with housing units, outdoor parks and other amenities.

Though his education and military career have taken him everywhere from Missouri to Hawaii to Iraq, Marks hasn’t forgotten his roots in the Deep South.

“I’m a Huntsvillian, Madison County, Sheffieldian – I’m an Alabamian, really,” Marks said.

He also stressed unity for all the surrounding cities and towns of Redstone Arsenal in public works projects such as roads and bridges. The large number of Madison residents who commute to Redstone for work benefit from such cooperation in all aspects of community life.

Private companies also have a large part in keeping Redstone economically and socially viable, which Marks highlighted in his talk. He also acknowledged the sheer geographical magnitude of the Arsenal.

“I learn something new about the installation everyday,” he said.

Marks’ bottom line was all about cooperation, unity and the symbiotic relationship with Redstone’s surrounding communities.

“It’s ours to lose,” Marks said. “When we work together, things get together.”