By Kelly Morris
Public Affairs Office
FORT RUCKER, Alabama — The Week of the Noncommissioned Officer at Fort Rucker provided a walk back in time as noncommissioned officers (NCOs) learned about Army Aviation’s story from one of its historians.
Fort Rucker is home to Army Aviation, and its storied history was shared by Army Aviation Center of Excellence command historian Billy Croslow.
Croslow pointed out “priceless, one-of-a-kind artifacts” that the NCOs were able to get closer to than they can in a museum setting.
SFC Jonathon Prieve, who serves as an air traffic controller at 164th Theater Airfield Operations Group, said he liked the older fixed-wing platforms.
“People don’t know the Army had all that stuff,” he said. “It was a good opportunity for all the NCOs on post to get a feel for where we came from, and I guess the role of the NCO as far as the maintainers.
“I like the small-group atmosphere to actually get to pop open and look at everything. The curator and historian for all this, I think he did a fantastic job. A wealth of knowledge for everything that’s in here.”
SSG Benjamin Santiago, an air traffic controller, said he was amazed by all the aircraft.
SFC Jose Candelario Aguilar, who serves in air traffic control with 164th, was drawn to the Huey helicopters, a longtime military workhorse used throughout the Vietnam War and since.
“Growing up in Puerto Rico we always saw the Hueys fly over for the Air National Guard,” he said, adding it also made him reflect on his grandfather who served in the Korean War.
Photos by Kelly Morris, Army-Fort Rucker Public Affairs Office.
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