Fort Rucker, Fort Bragg among posts to receive new names by the end of year

WASHINGTON D.C. (WAFF) - On Thursday the Pentagon Press Secretary Brigader General Pat Ryder announced that Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III issued a Memorandum on Implementation of the Naming Commission’s Recommendations.

After reviewing the report, General Austin agreed to the recommendations and wants to change the names as soon as possible.

“The installations and facilities that our department operates are more than vital national security assets. They are also powerful public symbols of our military, and of course, they are the places where our Services members and their families work and live,” General Austin wrote in his memorandum. “The names of these installations and facilities should inspire all those who call them home, fully reflects the history and values of the United States, and commemorate the best of the republic that we are all sworn to protect.”

ADM Michelle J. Howard, the Naming Chair Commission and U.S. Navy, ret. released the following statement on behalf of the Naming Commission:

“The Naming Commission sought to find names that would be inspirational to the Soldiers and civilians who serve on our Army posts, and to the communities who support them.

We realized we had more heroes than we did bases to name. And we were overwhelmed with the greatness of the American Soldier - from those who gave their entire adult lives to the Army, to those who sacrificed themselves in valorous acts. We were reminded that courage has no boundaries by categories of race, color, gender, religion, or creed.

From privates to generals, we found hundreds of military members who exemplified the core values of the Army. As we visited installations, we were touched by the contributions of the Soldiers’ families and community groups who support them. They work faithfully and tirelessly alongside our military members.

Our goal was to inspire today’s Soldiers and the local communities with names or values that have meaning. We wanted names and values that underpin the core responsibility of the military, to defend the Constitution of the United States. We wanted names and values that evoke confidence in all who serve. Confidence that by emulating those whose names are on the installations, we too can rise to every challenge, overcome every obstacle, achieve excellence, and, if necessary, sacrifice our lives for this country and her people.

One of the nine forts to be renamed is the headquarters for U.S. Army Aviation Fort Rucker, established in 1941. Originally named Camp Rucker, the post became Fort Rucker in 1955.

Fort Rucker was deactivated after World War II and reopened for the Korean War with an added helicopter training base on top of its housing and 1,200 acres for Cairns Army Airfield.

The fort is named after honorary Confederate General Edmund W. Rucker. He served as a colonel in the Confederate Army of Tennessee and fought in the Battle of Franklin and the Battle of Nashville, where he lost his left arm.

He died at the age of 89 in Birmingham, AL after becoming one of the city’s pioneer industrial leaders.

The recommended name for the fort is Fort Novosel after Micaehl Novosel Sr.

Novosel joined the Army Air Corps a the age of 19 in 1941, 10 months before the attack on Pearl Harbor. By the end of World War II he had risen to the rank of captain at the age of 23. Click here to learn more about Novosel Sr.

Well-known forts such as Fort Bragg, Fort Hood and Fort Lee are also subject to change. Click here to view the list and their recommended names.

According to the Naming Commission, they received more than 34,000 submissions, through initial sessions and a public comment period, related to naming activities, which included 3,670 unique names for consideration.

General Austin directed DoD leaders and the Services to begin implementing the names as soon as the NDAA-mandated 90-day waiting period is over on Dec. 18.

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