(U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Jaccob Hearn)
By Troy Turner
Maj. Gen. Terry L. Grisham began his military career driving a tractor in the early 1980s when there was no internet, the space shuttle program was new, and when artificial intelligence in Alabama usually referred to someone of the opposing side in the Iron Bowl rivalry.
Forty-plus years later, Grisham is a two-star general and tabbed as the transition director for the headquarters move of United States Space Command.
Grisham is an Alabama native, but barely. He hails from Limestone County and the small town of Ardmore, of which part of the town is located north of the Tennessee state line.
Already on the ground
The move to Alabama from SPACECOM HQ’s temporary Colorado location will bring hundreds of military personnel and provide hundreds more civilian positions once established in Huntsville, but the move also will involve a large logistical undertaking as new construction on Redstone Arsenal and a skilled workforce will be required.
That’s where Grisham and his experience will come into play.
Gen. Stephen Whiting, SPACECOM commander, announced on Thursday that Grisham, with nearly 40 years of military and civilian service, will serve as the command’s transition team director and lead the Program Management Office in Huntsville, which will oversee the relocation support.
Gen. Stephen Whiting, left, and Maj. Gen. Terry Grisham.
SPACECOM plays a critical leadership role with all of the U.S. military’s space-related defense and warfare elements, overseeing and integrating the individual space operations of each service branch under its umbrella of command.
The first members of SPACECOM’s headquarters staff already are on the ground at Redstone, forming the Project Management Office focused on military construction and infrastructure.
Huntsville’s historic role in the nation’s space and missile defense interests is nothing new to Grisham, who grew up and went to school in the region before enlisting in the Army in 1983 as a heavy equipment operator. He later commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1991 from the Alabama Military Academy Officer Candidate School as a combat engineer in the Alabama Army National Guard.
He earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from nearby Athens State University and a Master of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Air War College, which is located on Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery.
‘I grew up with it’
Grisham most recently assumed duties Feb. 1, 2025, as Army Materiel Command’s assistant deputy commanding general for National Guard Affairs.
(U.S. Army photo by Christine Mitchell)
Alabama thus became home to the only two-star National Guard theater sustainment command in the nation, located at Fort McClellan. Grisham, meanwhile, gained valuable leadership experience in various areas that will be helpful now to SPACECOM.
The Alabama Army and Air National Guard is made up of more than 10,500 soldiers, airmen and civilians, including an Army special forces unit headquartered in Birmingham and an Air Guard F-35 fighter wing based in Montgomery.
“I grew up with it. In the 1970s, 80s, 90s, the Guard was about hometown people,” Grisham said. “There was an armory in every county, and most often the soldiers that were assigned to that unit were local.”
The command’s ‘South Detachment’
SPACECOM will provide new challenges for Grisham.
Almost every facet of modern military warfare relies on space assets, whether it be for intelligence, communications, weather, GPS support or otherwise. Many civilian uses also rely on SPACECOM’S defense to ensure security of such infrastructure.
“I’m thrilled to be joining the SPACECOM team as the on-ground lead to continue establishing our permanent headquarters on Redstone Arsenal,” Grisham said. “It’s a great honor to both represent the command in our community, and as a longtime resident of northern Alabama, serve as an ambassador to welcome our workforce home.”
He will lead the team known as the command’s “South Detachment,” alongside deputy director Col. Raymond Ruscoe, who previously served as the director of SPACECOM’s European Command Joint Integrated Service Team.
In addition to managing the requirements for military construction and infrastructure, being on-ground full-time will facilitate greater engagement with local and state leaders, Whiting said.
“Terry’s nearly 40 years of expertise is informed by both his military service in the Alabama National Guard and civil service with the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command,” Whiting said. “This experience – paired with his deep ties to the surrounding community – will prove invaluable as he leads our efforts on Redstone Arsenal to expeditiously relocate our warfighting organization.”
That includes, he said, ensuring that the perspectives of both, SPACECOM’S military and civilian workforce, “are clearly represented.”
Grisham’s appointment quickly was endorsed by local officials, including Congressman Dale Strong.
“Proud to see North Alabama native Maj. Gen. Terry L. Grisham is the one who will be leading the SPACECOM transition to its permanent home on Redstone Arsenal!” Strong tweeted on X.
Congressman Robert Aderholt shared similar support.
Rep. Robert Aderholt chats with Maj. Gen. Terry Grisham at an event Friday in Huntsville.
“There could not be a better choice to lead USSSPACECOM in its transition from its temporary home in Colorado than Alabama native Maj. Gen. Terry L. Grisham,” he said. “He knows Alabama and he knows how to bring Space Command home to its rightful place.”
Troy Turner is the editor and senior consultant for AlaDefense.com. He can be reached at [email protected]. His bio can be found here.
SPACECOM Public Affairs Office and Christine Mitchell of U.S. Army Material Command contributed information for this report.
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