The new civilian head of the U.S. Army says he is “optimistic” that Redstone Arsenal will see growth – even under a new Defense Department policy that aims to reshape force structure and scrutinize acquisition.

Speaking to media Monday after a tour of the arsenal along with Army leadership and Sens. Katie Britt and Tommy Tuberville, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll lauded insights arising from work in Huntsville that he said align with the new Army Transformation Initiative.

“One of the biggest things we’re learning is logistic matters,” Driscoll said. “We’re going to have contested logistics in whatever we do, and a lot of the innovation in that space … is happening right here.”

In a May 1 memo to Army leaders, Driscoll wrote the service “will transform to a leaner, more lethal force by adapting how we fight, train, organize, and buy equipment.” His memo followed a directive from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for the Army to begin, “divesting outdated, redundant, and inefficient programs, as well as restructuring headquarters and acquisition systems.”

Yet Driscoll said even amid talk of leaner forces and program divestment, no one is contemplating base closures. He predicted, rather, that the Army would lean into the sort of critical logistics and R&D work for which Redstone is known.

The arsenal is considered a federal center of excellence – a site of collaboration between the Army, other Defense Department agencies, NASA and the Department of Justice. The Army and over 65 tenant agencies bring particular expertise in logistics, space and missile defense, research and development, and intelligence and homeland defense.

Logistics is a strength due to Redstone housing U.S. Army Materiel Command, one of four existing Army commands, which will soon be consolidated into three with the merger of Army Futures Command and Training and Doctrine Command.

Driscoll predicted the ATI would lead to, “a Renaissance for small and medium businesses, and some of the larger ones in the country. It should unlock innovations,” he said. “We want to empower [contractors] to bring their innovative spirit to the warfighter, so we’re confident places like Redstone will see an uptick.”

Lt. Gen. Chris Mohan, senior commander of Redstone Arsenal, and deputy commanding general and acting commander of U.S. Army Materiel Command, said for initiatives like integrating open architecture and building a “data layer” into new Army systems, “This is the place to do that.”

Britt said Driscoll visiting in his first 90 days in the position, “shows the importance of Redstone and the work that we do.

“Ultimately what this is about is making sure that our warfighter is the best trained, prepared and ready across the planet,” she said. “I have no doubt that the Army is in the right hands.”

Driscoll was President Donald Trump’s first service branch secretary nominee to be confirmed. He is a former combat soldier who served a tour in Iraq, earning his Ranger tab. He left the service with the rank of first lieutenant.

Driscoll attended Yale Law School on the GI Bill, where he met future Vice President J.D. Vance, for whom he later served as a senior adviser. Driscoll worked in venture capital after graduating Yale.

He has said his priorities as Army secretary include “reinvigorating the defense industrial base.” From that standpoint, Redstone – where 17,000 civilian contractors work daily – could play an outsized role in any “Renaissance” that comes with the Army’s transformation initiative.

“I am incredibly optimistic that with the talent and the resources and the sense of innovation that you have in this area, that you may see growth,” he said.