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City officials have announced that this year’s featured speaker at the Tullahoma Veterans Day Ceremony will once again be Col. Randel Gordon, commander of Arnold Engineering Development Complex (AEDC).

Mayor Ray Knowis and the Tullahoma Board of Aldermen are inviting both veterans and the public to attend the Veterans Day Ceremony on Fri, Nov. 10, at the South Jackson Performing Arts Center, located at 404 S. Jackson St., at 11 a.m. At this time, the City of Tullahoma will pause to honor America’s veterans and celebrate their contributions to our nation’s security.

“When you honor those who have served in defense of this country, you honor the best of what men and women can be,” said Knowis. “We are pleased to host this event for veterans and their families, and it is an honor to have our local military leaders participating in Tullahoma’s Veterans Day Ceremony.”

Patriotic music will be provided by select members of the Tullahoma High School Brass Ensemble. Lloyd Smith will perform the Armed Services medley and Jon Gray will sing “Faithful Soldier.”

Others taking part in the ceremony include Knowis, Rev. Marty Nutter, Retired USCGR Commander Richard Ellis, American Legion Post No. 43 Adjutant Len Houser, Marine Corps League Detachment 1128 Past Commandant Douglas Dietz, Tennessee Army National Guard Commander DAV Chapter 90 Commander Howard Thompson, Boy Scout Troop 402, and Daughters of the American Revolution’s Mary Anne Scott. Complete details and schedule can be viewed at Tullahomatn.gov. 

About Gordon

Colonel Gordon is commander of AEDC, headquartered at Arnold Air Force Base. The Complex employs more than 3,000 people and comprises more than 68 aerospace test facilities across eight states. AEDC has facilities at Arnold Air Force Base in middle Tennessee, and operating locations at Ames Research Center, Mountain View and Edwards AFB, California; Peterson AFB, Colorado; Eglin AFB, Florida; the Federal Research Center at White Oak, Maryland; Holloman AFB, Kirtland AFB, and White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico; Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, and Hill AFB, Utah.  AEDC offers a suite of test capabilities to simulate speed, temperature, pressure, and other parameters over a wide range to meet the needs of aerospace system developers. The test facilities simulate flight from subsonic to hypersonic speeds at altitudes from sea level to space.

Gordon was born in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., and received his commission in 1998 from the United States Air Force Academy. Prior to this assignment, he was the initial cadre director for the Secretary of the Air Force’s Artificial Intelligence Accelerator with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He also served as initial cadre for the Secretary of the Air Force’s AFWERX technology innovation team with private sector business and academia. Colonel Gordon is a Presidential Fellow, Harvard Business School Alumnus, Defense Advanced Projects Research Agency (DARPA) Fellow, MIT Fellow, and holds a doctorate from the US Air Force’s School of Advanced Air and Space Studies.

He served the F-22 Combined Test Force as its commander and has additional flight test pilot experience in the F-15C/E, A-10A/C, F-16A/C, Bombardier BD-700 Global Express business jet, and 70 other military and civilian aircraft. His most recent assignment was as the 412th Test Wing Vice Commander.

Gordon has a long list of impressive educational and military experiences and awards. Some of his military awards include: Defense Meritorious Service Medal; Meritorious Service Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster; Air Medal and Aerial Achievement Medal with 5 Oak Leaf Clusters.