Fort Rucker
Encyclopedia
Fort Rucker is a U.S. Army
post located mostly in Dale County
, Alabama
, United States
. It was named for a Civil War
officer, Confederate
General Edmund Rucker
. The post is the primary flight training base for Army Aviation
and is home to the United States Army Aviation Center of Excellence
(USAACE) and the United States Army Aviation Museum
. Small sections of the post also lie in Coffee
, Geneva
, and Houston
counties. Part of the Dale County section of the base is a census-designated place
; its population was 6,052 at the 2000 census
.
The main post has entrances from three bordering cities, Daleville
, Ozark
and Enterprise
. In the years before the September 11, 2001 attacks
, the main post (except airfields and other restricted areas) was an open post with unmanned gates allowing civilians to drive through. Following the attacks, this policy was changed, and the post is now closed to unauthorized traffic and visitors.
, and testing are all key parts of the Center's mission to develop Army Aviation's capabilities. All Army Aviation training has been undertaken at Fort Rucker since 1973, as well as training of US Air Force and ally helicopter pilots. The Center is home to the US Army Aviation Technical Test Center (ATTC), which conducts developmental aircraft testing for Army Aviation. The United States Army Operational Test and Evaluation Command's Test and Evaluation Coordination Office and TH-67 primary and instrument training are both located at Cairns Army Airfield
.
Operational units on the post include the 1st Aviation Brigade and the 110th Aviation Brigade handling Army Aviation training, and the USAF
23d Flying Training Squadron
for the training of Air Force helicopter pilots.
The 110th Aviation Brigade
consists of five battalions using three different sites. 1st Battalion, 11th Aviation Regiment, operates and manages air traffic control services and flight simulation support for USAAVNC/Fort Rucker and the National Airspace System. 1st Battalion, 14th Aviation Regiment operates from Hanchey Army Heliport
and conducts graduate level training using the AH-64D Apache Longbow
and OH-58D Kiowa
helicopters. 1st Battalion, 212th Aviation Regiment operates from Lowe Army Heliport
and Shell Army Heliport and conducts combat and night operational training, using the OH-58
, UH-1
, and UH-60
helicopters. 1st Battalion, 223d Aviation Regiment operates from Cairns Army Airfield
and Knox Army Heliport and conducts flight training using the CH-47 Chinook
helicopter and C-12 Huron
aircraft. The Helicopter School Battalion operates from Shell Army Heliport and, providing training for Latin America
n pilots under the United States Security Cooperation Program.
Additionally, due to the large number of warrant officers
stationed there, the Warrant Officer Candidate School
and Warrant Officer Career College are both located at Fort Rucker. Aviation
branched warrant officers remain at Fort Rucker to complete flight training and the Aviation Warrant Officer Basic Course
. Upon completion of their training, aviation warrant officers receive the Army Aviator Badge.
Fort Rucker is often referred to as "Mother Rucker", both as an insulting pseudo-homonym, and in deference to the birth of an Army Aviator's career and his or her constant return to the Post for continued training and responsibility throughout their career. It is common knowledge in an Army Aviation career, that "Everyone returns to Mother Rucker", because of the frequency of pilot training and re-education.
Support and other facilities at Fort Rucker include the Lyster Army Health Clinic, United States Army Aeromedical Research Lab, United States Army School of Aviation Medicine, and Army Aviation Museum.
, the US War Department decided to add a number of new bases. Fort Rucker (situated on 58000 acres (235 km²) of sub-marginal farmland, and formerly a wildlife refuge) was opened the 1st of May in 1942 as "Camp Rucker", and had quarters for 3,280 Officers and 39,461 Enlisted Personnel. It was deactivated following the war, then reopened during the Korean War
. After another short deactivation, it was again reopened and expanded when it became a helicopter training base. The name was changed to "Fort Rucker" in October 1955.
Hanchey Army Heliport became the home of the Department of Rotary Wing Training of the Army Aviation School
on 5 October 1959, marking the first time the Department was centralized.
While serving in the Army, Al Gore
was stationed at Fort Rucker before his five-month deployment in the Vietnam War
.
The 81st Division (Wild Cat) was the first unit activated at Camp Rucker on June 15, 1942. The 81st received equipment, personnel and trained here before shipping out to the Pacific Theater of Operations (PTO)
Other units passed through and called Camp Rucker home before shipping overseas, these included the 35th, 66th and 98th Infantry Divisions. The 91st and 94th Infantry Divisions were inactivated at Camp Rucker.
Fort Rucker is located at 31°20'37" North, 85°42'29" West (31.343654, -85.707995).
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the CDP area of the base has a total area of 10.9 square miles (28.2 km²), of which, 10.9 square miles (28.2 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.18%) is water.
of 2000, there were 6,052 people, 1,399 households, and 1,347 families residing on the base. The population density
was 556.8 people per square mile (215.0/km²). There were 1,544 housing units at an average density of 142.0 per square mile (54.8/km²). The racial makeup of the base was 68.5% White, 18.1% Black or African American, 0.9% Native American, 2.1% Asian, 0.7% Pacific Islander, 5.3% from other races, and 4.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.7% of the population.
There were 1,399 households out of which 79.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 85.4% were married couples
living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 3.7% were non-families. 3.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 0.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.47 and the average family size was 3.51.
On the base the population was spread out with 35.3% under the age of 18, 15.9% from 18 to 24, 46.2% from 25 to 44, 2.4% from 45 to 64, and 0.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 24 years. For every 100 females there were 131.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 145.1 males.
The median income for a household on the base was $34,603, and the median income for a family was $33,664. Males had a median income of $29,321 versus $18,750 for females. The per capita income
was $14,495. About 6.1% of families and 7.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.3% of those under the age of 18 and 16.7% of those 65 and older.
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
post located mostly in Dale County
Dale County, Alabama
Dale County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. Its name is in honor of General Samuel Dale. As of the 2010 census the population was 50,251...
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It was named for a Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
officer, Confederate
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
General Edmund Rucker
Edmund Rucker
Edmund Winchester Rucker was a Confederate officer during the American Civil War. He was given the title of "General" as an honorary award after the war, when he became an industrial leader of Birmingham, Alabama. Fort Rucker was named in honor of him...
. The post is the primary flight training base for Army Aviation
United States Army Aviation Branch
The Aviation Branch of the United States Army is the administrative organization within the Army responsible for doctrine, manning and configuration for all aviation units....
and is home to the United States Army Aviation Center of Excellence
United States Army Aviation Center of Excellence
-Mission: "The U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence trains military, civilian, and international personnel in and leadership skills, integrates aviation warfighting doctrine and requirements determination across the DOTMLPF, manages available resources, and sustains our commitment to the...
(USAACE) and the United States Army Aviation Museum
United States Army Aviation Museum
The United States Army Aviation Museum is an aviation museum located on Fort Rucker near Ozark, Alabama. It has the largest collection of helicopters held by a museum in the world. The museum features some 50 aircraft on public display with aviation artifacts ranging from a replica of the Wright...
. Small sections of the post also lie in Coffee
Coffee County, Alabama
Coffee County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. Its name is in honor of General John Coffee. As of 2010 the population was 49,948. Its county seats are Elba and Enterprise....
, Geneva
Geneva County, Alabama
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*86.3% White*9.5% Black*0.8% Native American*0.3% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*1.6% Two or more races*3.4% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
, and Houston
Houston County, Alabama
Houston County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of 2010 the population was 101,547. Its county seat is Dothan.Houston County is part of the Dothan Metropolitan Statistical Area.- History :...
counties. Part of the Dale County section of the base is a census-designated place
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
; its population was 6,052 at the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
.
The main post has entrances from three bordering cities, Daleville
Daleville, Alabama
Daleville is a city in Dale County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 4,653. It is part of the Enterprise–Ozark Micropolitan Statistical Area. The city's nickname is "Gateway to Fort Rucker", as this U.S. Army post is located just north of town...
, Ozark
Ozark, Alabama
Ozark is a city in and the county seat of Dale County, Alabama, United States. In 1990 the city population was 12,922. As of the 2000 census, the population of the city was 15,119....
and Enterprise
Enterprise, Alabama
Enterprise is a city in the southeastern part of Coffee and Dale Counties in the southeastern part of Alabama in the Southern United States. The population was estimated to be 25,909 in the year 2009....
. In the years before the September 11, 2001 attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
, the main post (except airfields and other restricted areas) was an open post with unmanned gates allowing civilians to drive through. Following the attacks, this policy was changed, and the post is now closed to unauthorized traffic and visitors.
Military facilities
The U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence is the dominant military facility at Fort Rucker. Training, doctrineDoctrine
Doctrine is a codification of beliefs or a body of teachings or instructions, taught principles or positions, as the body of teachings in a branch of knowledge or belief system...
, and testing are all key parts of the Center's mission to develop Army Aviation's capabilities. All Army Aviation training has been undertaken at Fort Rucker since 1973, as well as training of US Air Force and ally helicopter pilots. The Center is home to the US Army Aviation Technical Test Center (ATTC), which conducts developmental aircraft testing for Army Aviation. The United States Army Operational Test and Evaluation Command's Test and Evaluation Coordination Office and TH-67 primary and instrument training are both located at Cairns Army Airfield
Cairns Army Airfield
Cairns Army Airfield is a military airport forming a part of Fort Rucker, in Dale County, Alabama, USA. It is owned by the United States Army. The airfield is south of the town of Daleville, which sits between it and the main post.-History:...
.
Operational units on the post include the 1st Aviation Brigade and the 110th Aviation Brigade handling Army Aviation training, and the USAF
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
23d Flying Training Squadron
23d Flying Training Squadron
The 23d Flying Training Squadron is a unit of the United States Air Force, currently assigned to 58th Operations Group performing helicopter training at Fort Rucker, Alabama.-History:...
for the training of Air Force helicopter pilots.
The 110th Aviation Brigade
110th Aviation Brigade (United States)
The 110th Aviation Brigade is an aviation brigade of the United States Army.The 110th Aviation Training Brigade conducts all flight training at Fort Rucker and consists of a Headquarters and Headquarters Company,academics section, night vision device section, and four subordinate battalions:1st...
consists of five battalions using three different sites. 1st Battalion, 11th Aviation Regiment, operates and manages air traffic control services and flight simulation support for USAAVNC/Fort Rucker and the National Airspace System. 1st Battalion, 14th Aviation Regiment operates from Hanchey Army Heliport
Hanchey Army Heliport
Hanchey Army Heliport is a military heliport serving Fort Rucker in Dale County, Alabama, United States. Owned by the United States Army, it is located south of the city of Ozark.- Facilities :...
and conducts graduate level training using the AH-64D Apache Longbow
AH-64 Apache
The Boeing AH-64 Apache is a four-blade, twin-engine attack helicopter with a tailwheel-type landing gear arrangement, and a tandem cockpit for a two-man crew. The Apache was developed as Model 77 by Hughes Helicopters for the United States Army's Advanced Attack Helicopter program to replace the...
and OH-58D Kiowa
OH-58 Kiowa
The Bell OH-58 Kiowa is a family of single-engine, single-rotor, military helicopters used for observation, utility, and direct fire support. Bell Helicopter manufactured the OH-58 for the United States Army based on the 206A JetRanger helicopter. The OH-58 has been in continuous use by the U.S...
helicopters. 1st Battalion, 212th Aviation Regiment operates from Lowe Army Heliport
Lowe Army Heliport
Lowe Army Heliport is a military heliport serving Fort Rucker in Dale County, Alabama, United States. Owned by the United States Army, it is located 8 nautical miles southwest of the city of Ozark.- Facilities :...
and Shell Army Heliport and conducts combat and night operational training, using the OH-58
OH-58 Kiowa
The Bell OH-58 Kiowa is a family of single-engine, single-rotor, military helicopters used for observation, utility, and direct fire support. Bell Helicopter manufactured the OH-58 for the United States Army based on the 206A JetRanger helicopter. The OH-58 has been in continuous use by the U.S...
, UH-1
UH-1 Iroquois
The Bell UH-1 Iroquois is a military helicopter powered by a single, turboshaft engine, with a two-bladed main rotor and tail rotor. The helicopter was developed by Bell Helicopter to meet the United States Army's requirement for a medical evacuation and utility helicopter in 1952, and first flew...
, and UH-60
Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk
The UH-60 Black Hawk is a four-bladed, twin-engine, medium-lift utility helicopter manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft. Sikorsky submitted the S-70 design for the United States Army's Utility Tactical Transport Aircraft System competition in 1972...
helicopters. 1st Battalion, 223d Aviation Regiment operates from Cairns Army Airfield
Cairns Army Airfield
Cairns Army Airfield is a military airport forming a part of Fort Rucker, in Dale County, Alabama, USA. It is owned by the United States Army. The airfield is south of the town of Daleville, which sits between it and the main post.-History:...
and Knox Army Heliport and conducts flight training using the CH-47 Chinook
CH-47 Chinook
The Boeing CH-47 Chinook is an American twin-engine, tandem rotor heavy-lift helicopter. Its top speed of 170 knots is faster than contemporary utility and attack helicopters of the 1960s...
helicopter and C-12 Huron
C-12 Huron
The C-12 Huron is the military designation for a series of twin-engine turboprop aircraft based on the Beechcraft Super King Air and Beechcraft 1900. C-12 variants are used by the United States Air Force, United States Army, United States Navy and United States Marine Corps...
aircraft. The Helicopter School Battalion operates from Shell Army Heliport and, providing training for Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
n pilots under the United States Security Cooperation Program.
Additionally, due to the large number of warrant officers
Warrant Officer (United States)
In the United States military, the rank of warrant officer is rated as an officer above the senior-most enlisted ranks, as well as officer cadets and candidates, but below the officer grade of O-1...
stationed there, the Warrant Officer Candidate School
Warrant Officer Candidate School (U.S. Army)
The United States Army's Warrant Officer Candidate School , located at Fort Rucker, Alabama, provides training to become a commissioned warrant officer in the U.S. Army. Warrant officer candidates are typically drawn from enlisted members and inter-service transfers. In this case, Inter-Service...
and Warrant Officer Career College are both located at Fort Rucker. Aviation
United States Army Aviation Branch
The Aviation Branch of the United States Army is the administrative organization within the Army responsible for doctrine, manning and configuration for all aviation units....
branched warrant officers remain at Fort Rucker to complete flight training and the Aviation Warrant Officer Basic Course
Warrant Officer Basic Course
Warrant Officer Basic Course is the technical training program a newly commissioned U.S. Army Warrant Officer receives after attending Warrant Officer Candidate School. WOBC is designed to certify warrant officers as technically and tactically competent to serve in a designated military cccupation...
. Upon completion of their training, aviation warrant officers receive the Army Aviator Badge.
Fort Rucker is often referred to as "Mother Rucker", both as an insulting pseudo-homonym, and in deference to the birth of an Army Aviator's career and his or her constant return to the Post for continued training and responsibility throughout their career. It is common knowledge in an Army Aviation career, that "Everyone returns to Mother Rucker", because of the frequency of pilot training and re-education.
Support and other facilities at Fort Rucker include the Lyster Army Health Clinic, United States Army Aeromedical Research Lab, United States Army School of Aviation Medicine, and Army Aviation Museum.
History
After the onset of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the US War Department decided to add a number of new bases. Fort Rucker (situated on 58000 acres (235 km²) of sub-marginal farmland, and formerly a wildlife refuge) was opened the 1st of May in 1942 as "Camp Rucker", and had quarters for 3,280 Officers and 39,461 Enlisted Personnel. It was deactivated following the war, then reopened during the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. After another short deactivation, it was again reopened and expanded when it became a helicopter training base. The name was changed to "Fort Rucker" in October 1955.
Hanchey Army Heliport became the home of the Department of Rotary Wing Training of the Army Aviation School
Army Aviation School
An Army Aviation School is a military educational establishment responsible for the training and development of the personnel and equipment of the aviation element in those armies that have a separate aviation branch.- Tasks :...
on 5 October 1959, marking the first time the Department was centralized.
While serving in the Army, Al Gore
Al Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
was stationed at Fort Rucker before his five-month deployment in the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
.
The 81st Division (Wild Cat) was the first unit activated at Camp Rucker on June 15, 1942. The 81st received equipment, personnel and trained here before shipping out to the Pacific Theater of Operations (PTO)
Other units passed through and called Camp Rucker home before shipping overseas, these included the 35th, 66th and 98th Infantry Divisions. The 91st and 94th Infantry Divisions were inactivated at Camp Rucker.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the CDP area of the base has a total area of 10.9 square miles (28.2 km²), of which, 10.9 square miles (28.2 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.18%) is water.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 6,052 people, 1,399 households, and 1,347 families residing on the base. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 556.8 people per square mile (215.0/km²). There were 1,544 housing units at an average density of 142.0 per square mile (54.8/km²). The racial makeup of the base was 68.5% White, 18.1% Black or African American, 0.9% Native American, 2.1% Asian, 0.7% Pacific Islander, 5.3% from other races, and 4.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.7% of the population.
There were 1,399 households out of which 79.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 85.4% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 3.7% were non-families. 3.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 0.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.47 and the average family size was 3.51.
On the base the population was spread out with 35.3% under the age of 18, 15.9% from 18 to 24, 46.2% from 25 to 44, 2.4% from 45 to 64, and 0.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 24 years. For every 100 females there were 131.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 145.1 males.
The median income for a household on the base was $34,603, and the median income for a family was $33,664. Males had a median income of $29,321 versus $18,750 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
was $14,495. About 6.1% of families and 7.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.3% of those under the age of 18 and 16.7% of those 65 and older.