In September of 1942, more land was acquired and an airfield was built, Ozark Army Airfield. It would later, in 1959, be changed to Cairns Army Airfield. During World War II, Camp Rucker was used as training for infantry divisions. The 81st "Wildcat" Division, that would go on to fight in the Pacific at Palau, Peleliu, and Leyte Islands. The 35th "Sante Fe" Division which fought all over Europe, from Omaha Beach, to Bastogne to the mopping up and occupation of Hanover at the end of the War. The 98th "Iroquois" Division that was slated to take part in the invasion of Japan. And the 66th "Black Panther" Division, which suffered a great tragedy when one of the transport ships it was utilizing was torpedoed, causing the loss of over 760 men. The division went on to fight in the last few months of the war in Germany before readying for a deployment to the Pacific that never happened.
Camp Rucker also trained dozens of smaller units, including tank units, Women's Army Corps units and many infantry replacement units. It was also used to house German and Italian prisoners of war. Camp Rucker was closed for a short period after the war ended, but re-opened with the start of the Korean War.
The Minnesota Army National Guard was sent to Camp Rucker in the fall of 1950 and would remain there throughout the war as a training force for replacement troops being sent to the Korean peninsula. At the end of the war, after another short deactivation, it was expanded to become a helicopter training base and the name was officially changed to Fort Rucker in October of 1955. In October of 1959, the Hanchey Army Heliport at Fort Rucker became the home of the Department of Rotary Wing Training of the Army Aviation School. That marked the first time that the department had been centralized in one location.
Fort Rucker is now the primary training for Army Aviation and is home to United States Army Aviation Center of Excellence (USAACE). The U.S. Army Aviation Museum is also located on Fort Rucker. Army Aviation training has taken place solely at Fort Rucker since 1973. In addition to all of the intensive, comprehensive training that takes place here, it is also home to Warrant Officer Candidate School, Warrant Officer Career College, and the U.S. Army Combat Readiness/Safety Center.
Fort Rucker has grown mightily from its humble beginnings to become one of the pre-eminent bases/training centers in use by the U.S.Army. Helicopter warfare was born here and perfected in and above the jungles of Vietnam. Many other innovations and training doctrines were developed at Fort Rucker and have come to be a huge part of U.S. Army Aviation.
The number of people that have come through Fort Rucker is probably innumerable, but to say that many of them went on to serve in ways that altered the course of history is probably an understatement.
We are thankful for all who have trained others here and all who have been trained here. Our nation and the outcome of countless battles and several wars have depended on you for over 70 years.
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