Fort Rucker

Driving Tour

Fort Rucker, Alabama

Tour Table of Contents

1. Army Aviation

Museum

2. Ted E. Bear

3. Soldier Service Center 4. Total Warrant Officer

Museum

5. Painted Boulder 6. Mini Mall Shoppette

7. Veterinary Clinic

8. Lyster Army Health Clinic

9. Helicopter Over-water

Survival Training (HOST)

10. U.S. Army

Aeromedical Research Laboratory

11. Averett Family

Cemetery 12. Lowe Army Heliport

13. West Beach

14. Byrd Family Cemetery 15. Engineer Beach

16. Clayhill Cemetery 17. East Beach

18. Allen Heights

Neighborhood Center 19. Fort Rucker Primary

School

20. Bark Park 21. Triangle Shoppette

22. Fort Rucker

Elementary School 23. The Commons on 7th

Family Support

Facility/FRSA office 24. Bowden Terrace

Neighborhood Center

25. Youth Center 26. Community Gardens

27. Silver Wings

Neighborhood 28. Silver Wings Golf

Course/Divots

Restaurant & Grille 29. Buckhorn Lake

30. Equestrian Center

(EQC)

31. Knox Army Heliport 32. Prisoner of War Camp

33. MP Station

34. SERE Barracks 35. Automotive Skills

Center

36. Andrews Avenue Physical Fitness Center

37. Thrift Shop

38. Post Office 39. Hutton Plaza

40. Rucker Lanes

41. Commissary 42. Reel Time Movie

Theater

43. Main Post Chapel 44. Child Development

Center (CDC)

45. Guest House 46. Flynn Pool

47. Center Library

48. Aviation Technical Library

49. The Landing 50. The Landing Zone

(LZ)

51. Fort Rucker Parade Field

52. Post Headquarters

53. Reviewing Stand 54. Constitution Park

55. Chapel of the Wings

56. IHG Army Hotel 57. Mother Rucker’s

58. Alteration/Sew Shop

59. Fortenberry-Colton Physical Fitness Center

60. Camellia House

61. Magnolia House 62. Warrant Officer Career

Center

63. U.S. Army Combat Readiness Center

64. Academic Complex

Quadrangle 65. Goodhand Simulator

Complex

66. Cairns Army Airfield.

The Army Aviation Museum (1). Novosel St. was named

for Army Aviation Medal of Honor recipient, Chief Warrant

Officer Michael J. Novosel. Novosel was a veteran of World

War II and the Korean Conflict, but he, like the six other

Army Aviation Medal of Honor recipients, received his award

for heroism during the Vietnam Conflict. Two of the Army

Aviation Medal of Honor recipients were killed in action and

were honored posthumously; the other five are still living.

Hours of Operation: Mon – Sat. from 9:00 – 4:00 pm, Sun.

from 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm. Admission is FREE. Call (334)

598-2508.

Driving along Novosel St., you will see on your right, Ted E.

Bear (2). This 15 ft. Bear, originally known as “Smokey,”

arrived from Panama City, FL to Fort Rucker on March 27,

1961. He served as the mascot for the 31st Infantry Regiment,

“The Polar Bear Regiment.” The regiment received its

nickname during combat in World War I in Murmansk,

Russia. In 1967, the 46th

Engineer Battalion assumed

caretaker duties for Bear. In 1994, Soldiers of 1-210th

1-Army Aviation Museum

Aviation Regiment became Bear’s official caretakers. With

this reassignment brought a new name – PFC Ted E. Bear. In

1997, Bear was transferred to the care of the Warrant Officer

Career Center (WOCC). Part of the care provided to Bear is

ensuring he has on a fresh outfit. Each class “dresses” Bear

with an outfit ranging from matching WOCC class t-shirts, to

Santa suit for Christmas time. PFC Ted E. Bear was promoted

to SGT during an official ceremony on 12 Sept. 2008 when he

was moved from his original home on 5th

Avenue to his new

home near the posts U.S. Army Aviation Museum at the

corner of Novosel Street and Andrews Avenue.

At the traffic signal, take a left on Andrews Avenue.

Andrews Avenue was named for Congressman George

2- SGT Ted E. Bear

Andrews, who represented southeast Alabama when the Army

Aviation School moved here in 1954.

The Soldier Service Center (3), on the right side of Andrews

Ave., houses the Directorates of Human Resources and

Resource Management, the Staff Judge Advocate, and many

other Soldier & Family Offices (Lending Closet, Army

Community Service - ACS, Leisure Travel, Child, Youth &

School Service Registration, I.D. Card section, Vehicle

Registration, and many more).

The Total Warrant Officer Museum (4) is currently being

relocated. Formerly known as the Warrant Officer Hall of

Fame with emphasis on aviation warrant officers, this museum

now operates under the auspices of the Warrant Officer Career

Center and includes exhibits interpreting the history of the

total Warrant Officer Corps.

Outside the Warrant Office Museum you will see several

markers donated over the years by various warrant officer

classes. Some of the inscriptions are serious and others are

humorous. On the opposite side of the museum building room

3-Soldier Service Center (Bldg. 5700)

the parking lot, beyond a pavilion and a grassy area, is a large

painted Boulder (5). This boulder was formerly at Fort

Wolters, where there was a tradition for the successive

helicopter flight classes to paint it with their respective class

colors. After Fort Wolters closed, a retired warrant office had

the boulder transported to Fort Rucker.

At the intersection of Andrews Ave., and Dust Off St. is the

Mini Mall Shoppette (6). Hours of Operation are Mon. –

Fri, 5 am – 12 Midnight, Sat. – Sun, 6 am – 10:00 pm. Call

(334) 503-9338. Located inside the Mini Mall is:

Military Clothing Sales Store -- Hours of operation:

Mon – Fri., 8:30 am – 6:00 pm, Sat. 9:00 am – 4:00

pm, Sun, 11:00 am – 5:00 pm. Call (334) 255-3313.

Alteration Shop – Hours of operation – Mon – Fri

9:00 am – 5:30 pm, Sun 9:00am – 2:00 pm. Call

(334) 598-1204.

Taking a left at the intersection of Andrews Ave. and Dust Off

St., will take you to the Veterinary Clinic (7), just a short

ways down on the right. Pets are seen by appointment only

and must be preregistered. All animals housed on post must

be registered at the VTF within 3 days of arrival and must be

micro chipped. Hours of Operation are Mon. – Fri. from

8:00 am – 3:00 pm. Call (334) 255-9061.

7- Veterinary Clinic

Traveling through the intersection of Andrews Ave. and Dust

Off St., turn right at the Lyster Army Health Clinic (8) –

LAHC sign, a short block past Dust Off St. Dust Off St.

which partly encircles Fort Rucker’s medical complex, was

named after the radio call sign used by medical evacuation

helicopters during the Vietnam Conflict. In 1967, the new

Fort Rucker hospital was named from the Father of Aviation

Medicine, Brig. Gen. Theodore C. Lyster, the chief surgeon of

the Army Air Service During World War I. A memorial

marker is near the entrance. Fort Rucker does not have an

Emergency Room. Lyster Army Medical Clinic includes the

Aeromedical Center headquarters, a dental clinic and the

School of Aviation Medicine.

To the right of the parking lot, you will see the Helicopter

Over-water Survival Training - HOST (9), (formerly

DUNKER) building. HOST is where we prepare aircrew

members and their passengers to successfully egress an

aircraft in an over-water ditching emergency, in both day and

night conditions.

Across the parking lot, to the left of LAHC is The U.S. Army

Aeromedical Research Laboratory (10). It was established

in 1962 to conduct medical research in support of Army

8 – Lyster Army Health Clinic (LAHC)

Aviation and Army airborne activities. Exiting LAHC parking

lot, going right on Andrews Avenue you will be driving

toward Enterprise Gate. The road merges with Red Cloud

before turning into Rucker Blvd. once outside the gate. Red

Cloud Rd. is named in memory of Cpl. Mitchell Red Cloud,

Jr. a Korean Conflict Medal of Honor recipient, crosses Fifth

Ave., just north of Hutton Plaza.

Prior to reaching the Enterprise Gate, turn right onto Lowe

Field Rd. The Averett Family Cemetery (11) is located

about 200 yards down an auto-accessible path from Lowe

Field Rd. When Camp Rucker was constructed in 1942,

burials were exhumed from several cemeteries on the

reservation, but this cemetery and three others remained intact.

Lowe Army Heliport (12) was one of the first major

construction projects following Army Aviation’s move to

Camp Rucker in 1954. The facility was dedicated in

September 1957 in honor of Professor Thaddeus S.C. Lowe,

who organized the Balloon Corps of the Army of the Potomac

during the Civil War. It now serves as the base field for the

first phase of helicopter flight training at Fort Rucker. When

not in use, all aircraft are kept at base fields, such as Lowe.

To relieve the congestion around base fields during training

hours, many of the aircraft are flown to stage fields for

students to train in taking-off, landing, hovering and other

aviation skills.

12 – Lowe Army Heliport

Christian Rd. was named for World War II Medal of Honor

recipient, Pvt. Herbert F. Christian. At the intersection of

Christian Rd. and Johnson Rd., visitors may take a side trip to

the West Beach (13) of Lake Tholocco and the very small

Byrd Family Cemetery (14). The West Beach recreation

area is about 3 miles on Johnson Rd. Outdoor Recreation is

located here and has many amenities for rent, such as paddle

boats, ski boats, badminton equipment, etc. Hours of

Operation: Mon – Fri. 7:30 am – 5:00 pm, Sat. & Holidays

8:00 am – 4:00 pm. Call (334) 255-4305. The Byrd family

cemetery is about a mile further, a few yards beyond the end

of the pavement. A couple of miles further on the unpaved

extension of Johnson Rd. is Engineer Beach (15), a camp

ground for RVs and tents, offering 18 rustic sites and 30

modern sites.

Clayhill Cemetery (16), a cemetery for blacks, some of

whom were slaves or former slaves, is several miles away and

not on your map. It is located north of Lake Tholocco near the

intersection of Al Highway 27 and Ravanell Rd., about 6

miles from Ozark. To see this cemetery, you can request

directions from the Command Historian or from the

Directorate of Public Works.

From the intersection of Whittaker Rd. and Lake Rd., you may

take a side trip to the East Beach (17) area of Lake Tholocco,

about 1 mile down Lake Rd. 2, 3, or 4 bedroom Cottages are

available through Lake Tholocco Lodging at (334) 255-4234.

Hours of Operation: Seven Days/Week 8:00 am – 6:00 pm

Allen Heights Neighborhood Center (18) is located on the

corner of Christian Rd. and Artillery Rd. Allen Heights is the

Junior NCO, Senior NCO, and Company Grade Officer

housing neighborhood. Call (334) 598-4473. Taking a right

on Artillery Rd. you will see the Fort Rucker Primary School.

Fort Rucker Primary School (19) was designed and

constructed in 1973. It houses 4 year olds, kindergarten and

1st grade. Alabama requires children to be 4, 5 or 6 years old,

on or before September 1 to enter the program for 4 year old,

kindergarten or first grade respectively. Call (334) 598-4473

Bark Park (20) is open during daylight hours to allow

patrons living on Fort Rucker with pets to have an area where

they can run and play without a leash. The small enclosure is

for dogs under 20 lbs. The park also offers benches for patron

seating.

As you continue on Artillery the Triangle Shoppette (21) will

be on your right. Hours of Operation: Mon. – Sat. 6:30 am

– 9:00 pm, Sun. 9:00 am – 8:00 pm. Call (3340 503-9044,

ext. 277. Artillery Rd. turns into Farrel Rd. just past the

shoppette. Farrel Rd. was named for Capt. Francis P. Farrel,

an Army aviator killed during World War II. Continue on

Farrel until you reach the stoplight.

Fort Rucker Elementary School (22) is located across and to

the left of the light. The school, designed and constructed in

1964 with traditional individual classrooms, is comprised of

second through six grades. Call (334) 598-4408. Take a left

19 – Fort Rucker Primary School

on Red Cloud. At the second 4-way intersection, take a left

onto 7th

Avenue.

Athletic fields are now located across Seventh Avenue from

Bowden Terrace. During World War II and the Korean

Conflict, this large open area was the Division Parade Field

for troops undergoing training. In front of the athletic fields is

the new Family Support facility, The Commons on 7th

(23).

This facility is used by Fort Rucker units, Family Readiness

Groups (FRGs), as well as recognized Fort Rucker Private

Organizations for meetings, social activities, and training. The

United States Aviation Center of Excellence (USAACE)

Family Readiness Support Assistant (FRSA) office is located

in the Family Support facility. The facility also has computer

access with internet and webcam capabilities for Soldier &

their Families. The USAACE FRSA has information

regarding both military and community resources. Hours of

operation are Monday – Friday from 8:00 am – 4:30 pm. Call

(334) 255-0960.

22 -- Fort Rucker Elementary School

The family housing units near the intersection of Red Cloud

Rd. and Seventh Avenue are in Bowden Terrace, the second of

three family housing communities on Fort Rucker. Picerne

Military Housing began newly designing neighborhoods at

Fort Rucker in 2006. Each neighborhood will have its own

Community Neighborhood Center with neighborhood offices,

meeting rooms, kitchen area, game room, fitness room and

zero-entrance pool. Bowden Terrace Neighborhood Center

(24), is located at the corner of Division Rd. Call (334) 503-

3640. **Munson Heights Neighborhood Center will be

complete in 2011 – Call (334) 503-3641.

The Youth Center (25) facility consists of a large multi-

purpose room with a regulation basketball court that doubles

as the roller skating rink, a fully equipped Gymanstics/Self

Defense room, a dance studio, a music room, a teen room, and

a snack area. Hours of Operation: Mon – Thurs., 2:30 – 8

pm, Fri., 2:30 – 10:30 pm, Sat. 1 – 6 pm and 7-11pm. Call

(334) 255-9108/9127.

23 – The Commons on 7th

, Family Support Facility &

USAACE FRSA Office

Take a right onto Diamond Avenue to reach the Picerne

Community Gardens (26) located on Baker Street. 25 plots

are available to residents to plant gardens. For more

information contact your local neighborhood center. Take

Baker Street to Fifth Avenue. Take a left following 5th

Avenue around until it meets Andrews Avenue, take a left.

Take a right onto Hatch Road.

Down Hatch Road on the right you will see the new Silver

Wings Neighborhood (27). This housing area is for 0-6

personnel.

Silver Wings Golf Course and Divots Restaurant & Grille (28) to your left off Hatch Rd.. Lunch is served and Silver

Wings offers 3 9-hole courses for your golfing pleasure.

Hours of Operation: Mon. – Fri. 10-2pm, Weekends &

Holidays, 6 am – 4pm. Call (334) 598-1632.

Upon reaching Engineer Rd., the adventurous may wish to

take a two-mile side trip around Buckhorn Lake (29). You

may turn left on Engineer Rd., go 0.6 of a mile and turn right

28 – Silver Wings Golf Course/Divots Restaurant & Grille

on an unpaved road, which circles the fishing lake and a picnic

area and leads back to Hatch Rd. Otherwise continue along

Hatch Rd.

Equestrian Center (30) or EQC facility has a hay barn, 40

duplex stalls, each with a 6’ by 12’ tack room, and paddocks

to stable 80 privately owned horses, as well as 98 stalls for

transient and show horses and two community pastures. For

more information call (334) 598-3384.

Knox Army Heliport (31) located at the intersection of Hatch

Rd. and Knox Field Rd., was named in honor of Mr. Jim

Knox, a civilian flight instructor who was killed at Fort Dill

shortly before Army Aviation moved to Camp Rucker at 1954.

Knox Field, originally much smaller, was the first new landing

facility constructed after the move to Camp Rucker.

About one-half mile on Dilly Branch Rd., from the

intersection of Knox Field Rd., a forest road to the left leads to

the area where the World War II Prisoner of War Camp (32)

was located. Except for some asphalt paving and concrete

30 – Equestrian Center

foundations, nothings remain of the camp today. Italian and

German prisoners were kept separate and never saw each

other. According to the account of one former German

prisoner, however, the Germans occasionally heard the Italians

singing. Dilly Branch Road turns into Nighthawk Street.

At 3rd

Avenue, take a right. On Kingman St. you will find the

MP Station and Fire Department (33). MPs are available to

do vehicle VIN inspections for vehicle registration. You can

sign-up for Residential Checks if you reside on Fort Rucker --

while you are away, the MPs will drive by and check on your

residence. MP desk (334) 255-2222.

Staying on 3rd

Avenue. On the right hand side you will see

barracks surrounded by barb wire. These are the SERE

Barracks (34). This is where you will go to pick up your

Soldier once he/she has completed SERE training.

Continuing on 3rd

Avenue, past the Enlisted Barracks you

will notice on the right hand side, the Automotive Skills

Center (35). This facility has the equipment you need to save

money on do it yourself car maintenance and repair. This 24

bay facility has 12 lifts, 8 bays (non-lift) inside the building,

and 5 sheltered bays outside the main building. The facility

also has a paint booth and a body bay. The Automotive Skills

Center has a Mechanic-for-Hire Program, which can save

military Families money towards labor expenses. The

Automotive Skills Center also offers propane gas for sale.

Hours of Operation: Mon. – Tues. (closed), Wed. – Fri.

10:30 am – 7:30 pm, Sat. 9:00 am – 6:00 pm, Sun. 10:00

am – 6:00 pm. Call (334) 255-9725.

35 – Automotive Skills Center

Most of the east-west streets on Fort Rucker that intersect with

5th

Ave. and Andrews Ave., e.g. Shamrock, Raider, Outlaw,

etc., are named after radio call signs used by Army Aviation

companies during the Vietnam Conflict. Novosel St., Division

and Red Cloud roads are exceptions.

Take a left onto Gladiator Street. The Andrews Avenue

Physical Fitness Center (36) is located near the intersection

of Andrews Ave. and Red Cloud Rd. The facility offers

LifeFitness and Precor cardiovascular equipment, LifeFitness

selectroized strength equipment and a free weight room. It is

home to a regulation college center basketball court, three

regulation high school practice courts, a squash court, a 25-

meter indoor pool, football, soccer and softball fields, a

quarter-mile track and several running trails. Hours of

Operation are Mon – Fri from 5 am – 9pm, Sat. 8 am –

6pm, Sunday & Holidays, 10 am – 6pm. Call (334) 255-

2296.

Crossing Andrews Avenue, you will find the Thrift Shop

(37). They raises funds for worthy causes through the sale of

consigned and donated merchandise such as used clothing,

toys, jewelry, books, house wares, furniture, and electronics.

The Thrift Shop also awards scholarships to deserving

students and donates merchandise to the local DAV, the

Wiregrass Emergency Pregnancy Service, Relay for Life and

many other organizations. Volunteers are always needed.

Hours Of Operation: Wed – Fri. from 10:00 am – 2:00

pm. The consignment hours are Wed. from 10:00 – 1:00

pm and Thurs. from 10:00 – 12:00pm. Call (334) 255-

9595.

At the intersection of Gladiator St. and 5th

Avenue is the Post

Office (38). Hours of Operation: Mon. – Fri. 9:00 am –

1:00 pm and 2:00 – 4:15pm. Call (334) 598-6446.

Take a left onto 5th

Avenue, just through the light; on the right

hand side of the road is Hutton Plaza (39). It was named for

Brig. Gen. Carl I. Hutton, the first commander of the Army

Aviation Center at Fort Rucker. The memorial plaque is on a

brick wall on the north side of the AAFES Main Exchange

building. Visitors may park and enter the mall area of the PX

for lunch or refreshments. Hours of Operation: Mon. – Sat.

9:00 am – 8:00 pm, Sun. 10:00 am – 6:00 pm. Call (334)

503-9044. Also located in the Hutton Plaza parking lot is

Rucker Lanes (40) bowling alley. Hours of Operation:

Mon – Thurs. 11:00 am – 9:00 pm, Fri – Sat 11:00 am –

11:00 pm, Sun & Holidays 11:00 am – 6:00 pm. Call (334)

255- 9503.

The Commissary (41) is a 27,000 sq. ft. facility with 16

cashier lines for shoppers’ convenience. With 24-hour notice,

customers can purchase special cuts of meat, deli party trays

and bakery items. Hours of Operation: Mon (closed);

Tues. – Fri. 10:00 am – 7:00 pm, Sat. 9:00 am – 6:00 pm;

Sun 10:00 am – 5:00 pm. Call (334) 255-9729; deli/bakers

255-1091; produce 255-9711. Reel Time Movie Theater

(42) is located in front of the Commissary. Hours of

Operation: Tues. – Sun 7:00 pm showing, Sat. – Sun. 2:00

pm showing. Call (334) 255- 2408.

Located on Red Cloud Rd., the Fort Rucker Main Post

Chapel (43) is open to visitors. Call (334) 255-3140/3050.

Next to the Main Post Chapel is the Child Development

Center or CDC (44), is open Monday – Friday, 5:30 am – 6

pm. The Fort Rucker CDC offers full-care for children 6

weeks – kindergarten age. Children ages 2-5 are eligible for

enrollment in the part-day program. This program offers 2, 3,

or 5 day sessions. Call (334) 255-2262.

44 – Child Development Center (CDC)

Taking Copper Rd., behind the Commissary, which winds

around to the right turning into Park Dr., you will find the

Guest House (45). See IHG Army Hotel information to make

reservations.

Across the street from the Guest House is Flynn Pool (46), an

outdoor facility opened to accommodate on post swimming

enthusiasts. Hours of Operation: Mon. – Fri. 5:30 am –

7:00 pm and Sat. – Sun. 11:00 am – 5:00 pm. Call (334)

255-2296/9567.

Park Drive comes to a funny intersection at Novosel, Taking a

short left intersects 5th

Avenue. On the right you will have,

the Center Library (47). It has 23 high-speed public access

internet computers, Wi-Fi for laptops, a children’s collection

and an activities room, copying service, individual study area,

and a digital scanner. FREE fax service to all toll-free and

DSN numbers is also available. Patrons also have access to

FREE university and licensure examination proctor service as

well as reference assistance for all personal and academic

research requirements. Hours of Operation: Mon & Fri.

9:00 am – 5:00 pm; Tues. – Thurs. 9:00 am – 7:00 pm, Sat.

12:00 – 5:00 pm, Closed Sunday & Federal Holidays. Call

(334) 255-3695.

On the left is the Aviation Technical Library (48), which

provides academic and technical library services including

research assistance and interlibrary loan capability to students,

staff, faculty and tenant activities. Computer and internet

access is provided for government use only to active duty

personnel, DoD civilians, and authorized Fort Rucker

contractors. Hours of Operation: 0800 – 9:00 pm Mon –

Thursday, 8:00 – 5:00 pm Fri., 1215 – 9i:00 Sun. Call

(334) 255-3177/2944.

Where Park Dr. intersects Novosel, take a right. The building

down the hill from this intersection is The Landing (49),

formerly the Officer’s Club. The Landing can accommodate

parties, proms, hail n farewells, weddings and more. They

offer an extensive lunch menu to please the most concerning

of appetites. The Landing Zone or LZ (50) is located inside

The Landing and features a full-service bar 7 days a week,

daily specials, live entertainment and 24 flat screen TVs. The

Landing Zone is open to the public seven days a week. Call

The Landing, (334) 598-2426 or The LZ, (334) 598-8025.

Starbucks is also located in The Landing Zone, open 7 days a

week from 7 am – 6pm.

Near the flag pole on the Fort Rucker Parade Field (51) are

monuments honoring the war dead of two of the Infantry

divisions that trained at Camp Rucker during World War II,

the 81st and the 66

th.

51 – Fort Rucker Parade Field (Howze Field)

49 – The Landing

The building across the street from the parade field is Post

Headquarters (52). A marker near the entrance

commemorates the establishment of Army Aviation as a

combat arms branch of the Army on April 12, 1983.

Across the street from Post Headquarters, on the street side of

the Reviewing Stand (53), is a plaque paying tribute to the

men and women who deployed from Fort Rucker for service

in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.

Constitution Park (54), dedicated on September 17, 1987, the

bicentennial of the signing of the U.S. Constitution, is adjacent

to a parking lot at the intersection of Shamrock St. and

Headquarters Place. Across Shamrock St. from that

intersection is an historic Fort Rucker chapel, Chapel of the

Wings (55). Originally known as Post Chapel and later as

Headquarters Road Chapel, this chapel contains an altar,

lectern, podium, rail, and four chairs made by German

prisoners of war during World War II. The 50 state flags were

originally displayed in the Chapel of the Flags in Da Nang,

Vietnam, from where they were taken to Fort Wolters, Texas,

following the American withdrawal from Vietnam. When all

52 – Post Headquarters

aviation training moved from Fort Wolters to Fort Rucker in

1973, the flags, along with the stained glass windows, were

brought to Fort Rucker. The wings, from whence the chapel

derives its current name, represent the various insignia of

Army aviators and are located on the back wall of the

sanctuary. This is the only remaining of several chapels of

this same original design that stood on Fort Rucker from

World War II, until the new post chapel complex was

constructed in 1992. The chapel is open and visitors are

welcome. Call (334) 255-9221/2051.

Taking the first right past Wings of Chapel will lead you to the

IHG Army Hotel (56) previously Army Lodging, located in

Bldg. 308. This is for official and unofficial travelers.

Military Training Service Support students are priority.

Reservations for temporary duty, permanent change of station,

and unofficial travelers, are based on availability, subject to

preemption by MTSS students. For Central Reservation call

1-877-711-TEAm (8326 or visit the website at

www.IHGArmyHotels.com. Hours of Operation: 24/7.

Call (334) 598-5216.

55 – Chapel of the Wings

At 5th

Avenue, take a left. On the right hand side is Mother

Rucker’s (57), a new Sports Bar being built. **Scheduled to

open in late 2010.

Continuing on 5th

Avenue, you will see on the right, the

Alterations/Sew Shop (58) Bldg. 6600. Hours of

Operation: Mon – Fri. 9:00 am – 7:00 pm, Sun 11:00 am –

6:00 pm. Call (334) 503-9044, ext. 283.

Across the street is Fortenberry Colton Physical Fitness

Center (59), is named after CW3 Wesley Charles Fortenberry

and CW2 Lawrence Shane Colton both of which were killed

in action over Baghdad while serving as attack helicopter

pilots with the 1st Battalion 227t Aviation Regiment Cavalry

Division, Fort Hood, Texas. The facility boasts top-of-the-line

LifeFitness cardiovascular equipment, strive selectorized

strength equipment and LifeFitness free weights. The facility

includes a fitness room offering a regulation basketball court,

two practice courts, two volleyball courts and a group fitness

room. Also available is a 28 foot realistic climbing wall

which allows four people to climb simultaneously. Hours of

Operation: Mon –Fri. from 7:00 am – 9:00 pm, Sat. 8:00 am –

6:00 pm, Sun. 10:00 am – 6:00 pm. Call (334) 255-3794.

59 – Fortenberry Colton Fitness Center

The two white frame houses under the magnolia trees near the

intersection of Novosel St. and Fifth Avenue are now used as

temporary lodging for VIP visitors to Fort Rucker. During

World War II and the Korean Conflict, Camellia House (60),

the one nearer the street, was the quarters of the post

commander. The other is the Magnolia House (61).

Still continuing on 5th

Avenue, The Warrant Officer Career

Center (62) is near the intersection of Fifth Ave. and Raider

St. This is the headquarters for all Army warrant office

candidate training and for common core professional

development training of all Army warrant officers.

Approximately one-half of all warrant officers are aviators,

with the remaining half spread among 15 other Army

branches. Branch specific training for warrant officers is

provided in the various branch schools; e.g. Aviation at Fort

Rucker, Artillery at Fort Sill, Armor at Fort Knox, etc.

60 – Camellia House & 61 – Magnolia House

At Minuteman St., take a right. On the left is The Conrad

Safety Complex of the U.S. Army Combat Readiness

Center – USACRC (63) is dedicated to the late Col. Eugene

Blair Conrad, a survivor of the Bataan Death March of World

War II who later became a major figure in the promotion of

aviation safety. The U.S. Army Combat Readiness Center,

formerly called U.S. Army Safety Center, traces its origins to

the Army Accident Review Board, first established at Fort Sill

and then moved to Camp Rucker when the Aviation School

moved here in 1954. The USACRC supports commanders

and the Army staff with timely, accurate information about

hazards, risks and controls they can use to make informed risk

decisions.

62 – Warrant Officer Career College

63 – Combat Readiness Center

Visitors may park on either side of Fifth Avenue, near Outlaw

St. and walk through the grass-covered Academic Complex

Quadrangle (64) between two rows of red brick buildings.

Located near the entrances are memorial markers to the

deceased Army aviators for whom the buildings were named.

The memorial plaque for Ford Hall, at the end of the

quadrangle, is in the breezeway between the two parts of the

building. A Free-standing memorial dedicated to the men of

the 746th

Tank Battalion, a World War II unit that trained at

Camp Rucker, is located inside the quadrangle.

Continuing out the end of Minuteman St., across the street is

The Goodhand Simulator Complex (65) was named for

Brig. Gen. O. Glenn Goodhand, a distinguished Army

Aviation leader from 1942 to 1964. This building houses

flight simulators for UH-60 Black Hawk and CH-47 Chinook

helicopters and combat mission simulators for the AH-64

Apache.

Cairns Army Airfield (66) is separated from the main post by

the city of Daleville and is not open to the general public.

Ozark Army Airfield,, as it was called from 1942 to 1959,

served as an air support base for Camp Rucker during World

War II and the Korean Conflict. The existence of the airfield

was a factor in Camp Rucker’s being selected as the new

home of Army Aviation in 1954. The airfield was renamed in

1959 in honor of Maj. Gen. Bogardus S. Cairns, the

commander of Fort Rucker from June 1957 until his untimely

death in a plane crash in December 1958.

This concludes the tour.

“Above the Best”