Name change underway at Alabama’s Fort Novosel

DOTHAN, Ala. (WDHN) — The lengthy process to return the name Rucker to the Home of Army Aviation is underway a week after the official announcement was made.

A statement from Fort Novosel confirmed that the installation is currently “updating signage and materials to support the transition” back to Fort Rucker.

President Donald Trump announced the eventual return to Fort Rucker while addressing soldiers at Fort Bragg last week.

“For a little breaking news, we are also going to be restoring the names to Fort Pickett, Fort Hood, Fort Gordon, Fort Rucker, Fort Polk, Fort A.P. Hill and Fort Robert E. Lee,” Trump said. “We won a lot of battles out of those forts. It’s no time to change.”

Those posts, along with Fort Bragg, underwent name changes in 2023.

Under the Army’s new directive, the home of Army Aviation in Dale County will soon be named after Captain Edward W. Rucker, a World War I aviator and Missouri native who received the Distinguished Service Cross for engaging in a firefight with German aircraft behind enemy lines.

“Captain Rucker was more than an aviator. He was a warrior, an aviation pioneer, and a testament to the courage that defines Army Aviation,” said Army Maj. Gen. Clair Gill in a statement. “In the heat of battle, he flew with unwavering resolve, facing danger head-on, proving that true heroism is found in the willingness to risk everything for mission and comrades. His legacy is not just in the skies he conquered, but in the fearless determination and bold vision that every army aviator must embody.”

The post currently bears the name of Chief Warrant Officer 4 Michael Novosel Sr., an aviator with direct ties to Army Aviation and Enterprise who served in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. He later earned the Medal of Honor after saving 29 soldiers during a medevac mission in Vietnam.

“CW4 Mike Novosel’s heroism in battle, his unwavering dedication, and his commitment to the mission will forever be etched in this installation’s history,” Gill said.

For decades, the installation was named after another Rucker. This was General Edmund W. Rucker, a Confederate officer during the Civil War. Rucker served under Nathan Bedford Forrest, a slave trader and early leader of the Ku Klux Klan.

The movement to rename the Army bases under the Joe Biden presidential administration stemmed from concerns that U.S. military institutions should not be named for a Confederate leader who fought against the U.S. and was committed to slavery.

According to the Military Times, the 2023 effort to rename the nine Army bases cost the government around $39 million. The costly changes were because in part to the removal and changes to signs, displays, monuments and paraphernalia.

An official name change ceremony has not been scheduled.