Contact Information
Fort Rucker is one of the few census designated camps in the United States, located between Enterprise, Ozark and Daleville. Although most of its surface is in Dale County, it is spread on a few other counties as well. The name comes from Edmund Rucker, a well known Civil War fighter. The post used to be open to the public world and civilians until the 2001 attacks over the World Trade Center. After that moment, the rules and policies have been drastically changed. These days, no one can enter this fort except for the authorized personnel.
History
The fort was opened on May, 1st, 1942, on 235 square km. It hosted over 3,000 officers and almost 40,000 soldiers, being one of the most populated camps at those times. Other posts opened at those times barely had a few hundred inhabitants. Soon after World War II ended, the post was deactivated and abandoned until the Korean War. The end of this war came with another few years of deactivation. Finally, Fort Rucker became definitely opened after 1955, when its name was changed and became a helicopter training spot. The upcoming five years came with a series of upgrades and modernization.
One of the most important inhabitants of the fort was Al Gore. He used to train there until he had to leave for the Vietnam War for 5 months. Among other inhabitants of the fort, the most important ones count the 81st Division Wild Cat and the 35th, 98th and 66th Infantry divisions.
According to the 2000 census, the fort hosted 6,052 inhabitants only, in 1347 families and 1399 homes.
Units
One of the most important units in the camp is the 23rd Flying Squadron Air Education and Training Command. It is the most important helicopter-based army of the United States with some of the most dangerous and risky operations. The US Army School of Aviation Medicine is just as important, training troops and aviators, not to mention about the aeromedical staff. Other units in the camp count the Army Corps of Engineers, the Combat Readiness Center, the Army Research Institute or the National Guard Multimedia Branch.
Housing
The Fort Rucker housing system is run by a partnership between the US Army and the Picerne Military Housing. The last name was selected by the army to privatize the housing system. Both of them work together these days to provide the inhabitants with quality homes to satisfy their needs. The system is simple – newcomers have the chance to buy or rent a place, depending on their budget. The utilities are complete, providing the citizens with telephone, cable television and electricity.
At the same time, those who opt for an internal hotel at Fort Rucker will benefit from microwaves, refrigerators, TV sets, Internet and telephone access and so on. The people who opt for an off post housing spot will be assisted and advised by a public service in order to make the best decision. They are informed about the real estate practices in the area and taught how to act in an informed way.
