The delegation participated in panel discussions about BRAC and its impact on Huntsville. Presentations also discussed the importance of regionalism and coordination.

Joe Ritch, who chairs the Tennessee Valley BRAC Commission, said the visit provided an excellent opportunity to compare notes on how each community is working the BRAC process.

“It is a compliment to our area that the people from North Carolina and Ft. Bragg recognize the success we've had in BRAC and in particular our efforts in regionalization. It is important that BRAC-gaining communities meet and exchange ideas as we aggressively attempt to successfully implement this BRAC as well as prepare for future BRACs,” Ritch said. “While the missions of Ft. Bragg and Redstone are very different, the exchange of ideas is important in our efforts to assist the Department of the Army and the Department of Defense in this very complex process.”

The group was here to learn as much as they could about how the Tennessee Valley communities work together to ensure BRAC implementation success.

“We came here to learn how the community is preparing for BRAC implementation, including the impact on regional infrastructure, as well as how the community leveraged the presence of Redstone Arsenal to support the growth of Huntsville’s defense and aerospace cluster,” said Will Austin, Executive Director of the North Carolina Military Foundation.

The North Carolina delegation spent two days in Huntsville. The trip included panel discussions about how regional cooperation works and another on the infrastructure of Redstone Arsenal which concluded with a tour of the base followed by an evening at Bridge Street Town Centre.

“You have a tremendous asset in RSA that is a natural magnet for building a world class defense and aerospace cluster. It was impressive to see so much energy and enthusiasm focused on supporting the growth of your regional economy, and in a coordinated fashion,” Austin said of Redstone Arsenal and the Tennessee Valley BRAC Committee’s efforts.

Day two of the Huntsville visit revolved around how BRAC has influenced the region and local businesses. Bill Wahlheim, Community Relations for Westar talked about how BRAC influenced his company and what BRAC will mean for other Valley companies. The visit ended with a tour of Cummings Research Park led by CRP Director, Rick Davis.

“The trip offered a good look into the benefits of regionalism,” said Col. Tom Gaskill (retired USMC), the Executive Director of North Carolina’s Eastern Region Military Growth Task Force. “Huntsville has really done a great job here and has also done something that not many other regions have done; they’ve included counties from an adjacent state [southern Tennessee]. I think this demonstrates that the leadership in Huntsville is willing to capitalize on the strengths of the region and is not bound by previous concepts,” he said.