It is an Army base in the continental United States that many soldiers will visit at one time or another…
In today’s post, I am going to share 10 cool facts about Fort Rucker. Some you may be aware of, while others??? If you have any added Fort Rucker facts, feel free to share them in the comments area at the end of this post.
#1: Location
Fort Rucker is located in Southeastern Alabama in primarily Dale County and it can be entered from 3 cities:
- Daleville
- Ozark
- and Enterprise
After the September 11th attacks, the entry to Fort Rucker is guarded closely and you must have ample identification to come on base.
#2: Primary Mission
Fort Rucker is the home of the United States Army Aviation Center of Excellence (USAACE). It is where training happens for nearly all Army aviators.
The mission reads:
USAACE trains, educates, and develops agile and adaptive Army Aviation professionals, manages the Aviation Enterprise, and integrates indispensable Aviation capabilities and requirements across the warfighting functions to enable commanders and Soldiers on the ground to fight and win in an increasingly complex world.
#3: When Built
Fort Rucker was built to help in the training of World War II soldiers… That was 1942.
The first troops to train at Fort Rucker was the 81st Infantry Division.
#4: Current Leadership
The current leadership at Fort Rucker is:
- Commanding General: Major General William Gayler
- Garrison Commander: Colonel Brian Walsh
- Command Sergeant Major: Jasper Johnson
#5: Named After
Fort Rucker is named after a Confederate officer… Colonel Edmund Rucker who was given an honorary title of General.
Other posts you may enjoy:
- Alabama Army National Guard: 28 Cool Facts
- Army Aviation History: Top 13 Amazing Facts
- The Top 15 U.S. Army Helicopters Of All Time
- Military Graduate Schools In The United States
- Army Aviation Flight School: Cool Things You Should Know About It
#6: Mother
While it seems derogatory, Fort Rucker has been given a nickname far and wide… Mother Rucker.
Much of this comes from the fact that aviation soldiers have to go back to the Fort often for more training.
Being in the Southern U.S., this Army base can get extremely hot. But it really isn’t as bad as some may try to lead you to believe.
It is my understanding that Fort Rucker has some of the best base housing of all bases in the United States.
#7: Warrant Officers
Fort Rucker has a high rate of Warrant Officers stationed there. Because of this, Fort Rucker is where both the Warrant Officer Candidate School and Warrant Officer Career College are located.
#8: They Call Fort Rucker Home
These units consider Fort Rucker home:
- 1st Aviation Brigade
- 110th Aviation Brigade
- and the 23rd Flying Training Squadron
#9: A Great Museum
Fort Rucker is home to an excellent museum you should make plans to visit. The United States Army Aviation Museum has the largest collection of military helicopters in the world.
The museum is open to the public.
#10: Fort Rucker Facilities
The facilities at Fort Rucker include:
- Cairns Army Airfield
- Hanchey Army Heliport
- Lyster Army Health Clinic
- Knox Army Heliport
- United States Army Aeromedical Research Lab
- Lowe Army Heliport
- United States Army School of Aviation Medicine
- Shell Army Heliport
- Ech Army Heliport
- and the United States Army Combat Readiness/Safety Center
Final Thoughts
There are the 10 cool facts about Fort Rucker I have. Feel free to add more below. If you have spent time at this Army installation, please share your views. Thank you.
Chuck Holmes
Former Army Major (resigned)
Publisher, Part-Time-Commander.com
Email: mrchuckholmes@gmail.com
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