Redstone Arsenal Honors Three Retiring Careerists

Lt. Col. Chas Caruana, Bill Edmonds and Edwin Lopez Laviena retired from service during a quarterly ceremony at Redstone Arsenal.

Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Military Jobs

Photograph of a flagpole and low mid-century brick military building on a manicured lawn under a clear autumn sky with oak trees. — Redstone Arsenal honored three retiring careerists during a quarterly ceremony on October 29, including Lt. Col. Chas Caruana after 37 years of service. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Redstone Arsenal held a quarterly retirement ceremony on October 29 at Bob Jones Auditorium honoring three careerists. Lt. Col. Chas Caruana retired after 37 years, Bill Edmonds after 35 years and Edwin Lopez Laviena after 40 years of service.

Why it matters

The ceremony recognizes long military and civilian careers that span multiple branches and roles at the installation. Retirements of experienced personnel mark a transition for the Huntsville workforce supporting Army Materiel Command.

The honorees' combined service totals 112 years, with Caruana's 37 years including six in the Marine Corps and 31 with the Army National Guard from Michigan. Lopez Laviena's 40-year career divided evenly between 20 years as a Soldier and 20 as a civilian, and the source does not give the number of other retirements held that quarter.

The players

Chas Caruana

Lt. Col. Caruana retired after 37 years of service, beginning with six years in the Marine Corps and continuing with 31 years in the Michigan Army National Guard.

Gail Atkins

Brig. Gen. Atkins hosted the ceremony in her role as special assistant to the acting commanding general of Army Materiel Command.

The details

Brig. Gen. Gail Atkins hosted the ceremony as special assistant to the acting commanding general of Army Materiel Command. Caruana retired as chief of operations for the Intelligence-Future Capability Directorate under the Futures and Concepts Command, Edmonds as senior safety engineer for Army Materiel Command, and Lopez Laviena as ammunition branch chief and ammunition accountability officer at the Logistics Readiness Center.

October 29, 2026: Redstone Arsenal quarterly retirement ceremony honors three careerists.
2006: Lopez Laviena retires from the military as a chief warrant officer two.
2015-2022: Caruana serves as a police officer in Marine City, Michigan.

Roadmap

Each honoree's career ran through Army Materiel Command, which oversees the logistics, safety and ammunition functions in which Edmonds and Lopez Laviena specialized. Caruana's move from the Futures and Concepts Command into a planned return to Alabama law enforcement shows how service members with long military careers often transition into civilian public safety work.

Military retirees with long service records can explore civilian transitions such as law enforcement, as Caruana plans to return to Alabama for the state law enforcement academy. Readers considering similar moves should look into academy start dates and state requirements before committing to a relocation.

The takeaway

Long service careers at installations like Redstone Arsenal often carry skills into new fields after retirement. Those planning a similar transition should weigh how their experience maps to civilian roles and local certification timelines.