Ahead of the 75th anniversary celebration of the Arnold Engineering Development Complex (AEDC), located at Arnold Air Force Base, Col. Grant Mizell took some time to talk about everything AEDC and what to expect at the upcoming open house celebration on June 27.

Mizell is the 33rd commander serving at Arnold, taking the reins in June 2024, and, like others before him, called Arnold one of the great kept secrets in the U.S. Air Force.

“Most airmen don’t actually know that Arnold exists, and if they have heard the term Arnold Air Force Base or AEDC, they certainly don’t know where it is,” Mizell said. “Which is a shame because AEDC is perhaps one of the most important bases in the entire Air Force.”

His reason for his sentiment is that, according to him, anything that has flown in the air or space for any branch of the military very likely came through AEDC to be tested. This includes elements of the Artemis II mission, in which a space shuttle traveled around the Moon and returned to Earth earlier this year.

“This base has been involved in almost every major aeronautical feat since 1951,” Mizell said.

Examples of AEDC’s involvement and contributions include Apollo 13, testing the SR-71 and X-15, testing the F-14, F-15, F-16, and F-18 fighter jets, the F-22 and F-35 stealth fighter jets, the Boeing 777, Blue Origin, and Artemis. Mizell also highlighted the facilities at the base that help with the various testing, including the Propulsion Wind Tunnel Facility.

“We’re incredibly proud of the accomplishments of AEDC in the last 75 years of legacy,” Mizell said. “Those accomplishments are only possible because of the incredible men and women that have worked here over the years.”

Mizell shared that the majority of the workforce, upwards of 75%, comes from Coffee County, Franklin County, Warren County, Moore County and the other surrounding communities.

“We want to make sure that we share this 75th anniversary with them,” he said. “As we go into this 75th anniversary, the diamond jubilee of AEDC, it’s only fitting we share the credit with the men and women who made this possible and the people of this community.”

Mizell continued and said the celebration is also for those who never stepped onto or worked on the base, as they, too, have supported the people who do go to work at AEDC every day.

“Every small business, every teacher, every teammate in our local community supports the mission this base does, and we want to make sure that we can open up the gates and share with people what their taxpayer dollars support and share with people what their businesses, with their friendships, and what their community support has done.” The official open house kickoff will occur at 10 a.m. with a welcome from Mizell, where visitors will have a chance to take bus tours around the base. Also on deck will be the 75th anniversary rededication ceremony, which will feature the sealing of a time capsule honoring former AEDC commanders will take place at noon. This time capsule will not be opened until AEDC’s 100th anniversary in 2051.

The final event of the day will the rare opportunity for the public to attend the Change of Command ceremony at 3 p.m., where Mizell will transfer leadership of AEDC to the new commander: Col. Wayne Dirkes. Mizell said this normally internal military ceremony will be open for the public as an opportunity to share the heritage and legacy with the community.

Mizell said he will be slightly sad to leave the base that he has called home for the last two years.

“I will absolutely miss the mission of AEDC,” Mizell said. “I did not understand the gravity and the magnitude of the mission before I took command here, and over the last two years, I have been wowed at every turn. I’m continuously humbled that I get to be part of this enterprise that I get to be part of this history and this legacy. But even more than the mission, and even more than t h e incredible pieces of machinery that will be on display at the 75th anniversary, I am grateful and I am humbled to have been part of this local community. The people that we get to interact with every single day are what really make this special. The hospitality of Tennessee has been second to none, and it will be very difficult for my family to get in that car and drive away.”

On the upside, as an outdoorsman, Mizell said his time in

Tennessee has helped him to make his dreams come true.

“From the waterfalls of Savage Gulf and Fiery Gizzard, to our local Machine Falls, to the great hunting and fishing in the state, the limestone cliffs, and all the beauty that Tennessee brings,” Mizell said. “We will certainly miss this state.”

As for what accomplishments he achieved at AEDC, Mizell said the base had done so much to further the country’s technological advantage, noting one of these areas is high speed.

“We have a little motto at Arnold, at AEDC, and that is, ‘The future is coming fast,’” he said. “High speed is the future of warfare, and without speed, we will have a difficult time keeping up, pun intended. So, Arnold continues to be the key to ensuring that the United States Air Force, United States Space Force, and all of the services are capable of fielding vehicles and weapon systems that can keep up with modern technology.” Other accomplishments Mizell highlighted included the work the base has done on hypersonics, bringing the country’s two newest highspeed facilities back online and praising the contract workforce for everything they have done.

“Despite the longest government shutdown in history, and despite a workforce reduction that was driven by cost-saving measures at the federal level, our people remained incredibly dedicated to this mission, and they never gave up a single day,” Mizell said. “They continued to work through government shutdowns, and they continued to push capability and ensure that America could pursue targets around the world in all of our overseas conflicts.”

And as for what he sees in the base’s future, Mizell said he believes the base will continue to adapt and modernize equipment to ensure that what meets them on the horizon, it will be born in Middle Tennessee.

“Arnold has been a cornerstone of American defense for the last 75 years. With the dedicated men and women who work here, and the leadership who is continuing to invest and continuing to innovate, and plan for AEDC’s future, I fully expect the AEDC enterprise to remain relevant for another seventy-five years.”