No thanks to a short notice command assignment.

Assignment to Fort Eustis, Virginia came shortly after I declined alternate Brigade command in Vicenzia Italy. Prior to assignment I was assigned as Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel and Community Activities, Fort Rucker, Alabama. Initially assigned as the Director for Supply and Maintenance, one of my former commanders felt that my Masters Degree in Human Resources Management would be better used in a different capacity—he’s the same officer who decided that I should become an aviation battalion S3 and not the S4—Lieutenant Colonel James C. Kitterman had been commander, 222nd Aviation Battalion during my assignment to Fairbanks, Alaska and apparently felt that I could get this job done.

My assignment took the heat off a lot of people who didn’t want to be in Alabama for any reason, much less professional development as a Colonel, i.e., assignments like this are career ending because the incumbent generally has to say “No” most of the time and “team players” never do that!

We implemented an HIV/AIDS project, managed a consent decree, bailed a failing non appropriated fund system out of the red and reorganized. I learned a lot about what happens when there are high turnover for student training and family support is a constant demand that goes unfunded.

I learned how invasive Federal Regulations can be; how real lawsuits are resolved and why assignments like this are career terminating. You are the flash point for everyone’s anger, concern and demands. What we needed most was efficiency and an organization that would accomplish that.

Civilian employees at Fort Rucker spend their entire lives working at the installation. Nepotism is alive and well and recollections from the 1950’s are as clear now as they were the day the installation became a permanent post and was designated from a camp to a fort. I was actually there for that event as a child visiting my uncle who was assigned to the Mobile Corps of Engineers. Lieutenant Colonel Howard Littlefield was an Engineer Officer and assigned to the reopening of Fort Rucker after the Alabama Delegation made the land available for our use.

Fort Rucker celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2005 by highlighting key milestones in the history of the installation and Army Aviation.

On July 23, 1954 – Department of the Army (DA) announced transfer of the U.S. Army Aviation School from Fort Sill, Oklahoma, to Camp Rucker; September 1, 1954 – Brig. Gen. Carl I. Hutton assumed command of Camp Rucker as commander of the U.S. Army Aviation School; January 1955 – DA approved the long-range plan for Army Aviation. It established Camp Rucker as the U.S. Army Aviation Center (USAAVNC), the equivalent to the other combat arms centers; February 1, 1955 – USAAVNC was officially established at Camp Rucker; October 13, 1955 – DA Designated Camp Rucker as a permanent installation, Fort Rucker, under General Order 63.

Maj. Gen. Bogardus S. Cairns was killed in a helicopter crash near Fort Rucker shortly after my arrival and we were all driven to the area of the crash to look for parts and debris. Later I attended flight school and fixed-wing transition course, and finally I was assigned as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel and Community Affairs following my assignment at the Industrial College of the Armed Forces.

Apart from learning how to run and operate a large non appropriated fund activity, activities at Fort Rucker were rather mundane. The consent decree held us hostage to hiring only certain individuals and there were huge numbers of vacancies. I was able to address the decree, satisfy the Court and get a hiring program underway.

I learned a great deal about the benefits of leased drug testing equipment that helped me understand why it isn’t always effective to own equipment when the technology is changing. Mr. Ronald Sorrells was my director and one of those I consider a dear friend. On more than one occasion he would have me present and spring a random urinalysis or breathalyzer test on before an audience.

We staged the breathalyzer at flight operations and I learned more about human problems than wanted. People addicted to drugs and alcohol is transparent until detected and than they are accomplished liars with high placed friends. Although we had to stop those random tests, we get to them in other ways and, as President of an Article 32 investigation we were able to deny active duty places to three newly promoted second lieutenants who were processing into a flight class—they had residual of marijuana traces and tried to say that our test was done on uncertified equipment.

They came from schools that promoted the theory that drug Analysis is Faulty and knew How to lie with drug statistics. They were so good that they had duped their parents and friends into believing them; however, our laboratory equipment, chain of custody and drug testing facility were easily able to sort it out and we prevailed—one of the fathers, an Army Colonel, was irate and promised to bring civil action. What saved us all a lot of money in Court costs was unexpected—they all told the truth when it mattered.

At the conclusion of this episode, I sent Major General Parker a memorandum that said simply, “ The system did not fail these officers.”

Another dark spot while I held this job was a motorcycle fatality in one of the Post areas of a civilian. Like most installations, Fort Rucker had been an open and closed post, i.e., sometimes there were Military Police and at other times the roads were open for use. Fort Rucker was an open installation and some of the approved clubs had extended membership, without approval, to their civilian friends and neighbors—it was an extreme problem in the golf and officer club’s where getting lieutenants to drink knowing that if they later drove a vehicle and were caught would be dismissed from the flight program.

My predecessors had relied on the local businesses to become club members, pay dues and spend money. While unauthorized, it was almost impossible to convince folks it was a violation of law.

The first to get on my case was the Chief of Staff, Colonel John Miller, who wanted to manage the golf club and dole out special favors to his friends. I simply revoked their charter and opened the facility to all military and family  members. I then mailed club suspension notices to everyone who was not eligible to use post facilities.  Wow, did that get attention; however, in one of the few instances in my memory, Major General Ellis D. Parker, supported my decision and the clamor subsided never to raise its head again.

Colonel Miller, on the other hand, turned out to be one of those individuals best left in the dustbin of insignificance. He and others like him are well met but unimportant; however, their equally undesirable associates permeate an Army that will see Army officer openly criticize the President, our Commander-in-Chief because of the petty nature and not being able to get their way. A name comes to mind in Lieutenant Colonel John Riggs who has worked out a niche doing studies and no work in the Research and Development area of post, a place behind fences and mystique.

Fort Rucker became a disaster destination when high winds forced the evacuation of Eglin Air force Base. The refugees were sent to Fort Rucker, or came, without notice. Fortunately we had vacant barracks and were able to house them all, but what was amazing was the fact that the Air Force demanded immediate housing. I can honestly say that I was shocked and knew that they had been rejected from Maxwell Air force Base where there was no room.

One of the evacuees simply said they had had enough and I was the only person they saw who represented military authority.

I learned that you need two sanitary changing stations for every six children, with an assigned and trained attendant to operate an infant care facility under federal law. You also need an approved agricultural certificate to feed snacks to children or feed food and that no home can offer day care unless they also offer an education component. Fort Rucker had all of these opportunities and some not well understood.

One was the Magnolia House that was a favorite for several of Alabama’s most powerful. When they were in our part of the state, they came, demanded service and left, but not until delivering loads of attention and lots of snarl. Getting them to pay was never easy and suggesting that some items were not free unthinkable. The mighty got it all and I was determined to reverse that trend.

We got out of the financial mess when the commercial ticket operation started paying us a commission on their operations. The first check I provided to General Parker was for $55,000, more non appropriated fund money than we had ever accumulated. By expanding service and offering delivery we were able to make the clubs viable while not detracting from our essential mess facilities.

I stopped club dies and lowered meal prices. Introduced buffets and expanded the exchange operations to host hours that did not conflict with school or training sessions, i.e., we were open when our soldiers and their families could make the most out of it. I revamped the recreation system and opened the recreational areas, e.g., swimming at Lake Tholocco, skeet and trap shooting, hiking and boating. Liability insurance was a disaster because we had “an attractive nuisance” but we managed to pay for everything and still provide services.

The final act was to create an all source arrival and clearance facility where we could pay for utilities, order telephones and simplify processing. Before the creation of this facility we had a snarl of delinquent payment notices and loads of follow-up to keep our community on the move.

Departing Fort Rucker, it had become apparent that Major Commands can suck the lifeblood out of morale, welfare and recreation surpluses! We fell into that category by creating an efficient organization and profiting from our ability to generate income due to the constant infusion of students on temporary duty.

We also were able to keep the local merchants at bay by letting soldiers off post for meals rather than mandating that they eat in an essential mess. I soon learned that officers like 85 cent beer at a dive and non commissioned officers prefer call whisky in their club. Neither was ever intended to support facility operations but alcohol has been determined to be what makes the difference between a profit center and a drain.

My experience was different. Prepare food members want at reasonable prices and provide facilities to recreate at many things and you will make a huge profit; however, while country is great, it doesn’t generate any revenue and the twang lasts far too long.

That fact didn’t go unrecognized when I was told by the Training and Doctrine Command Director Personnel that he intended to transfer our surplus to an installation catering to retirees near Fort Lee, Virginia who were struggling on their retirement incomes and demanded more services from their club systems. I assumed non appropriated fund responsibilities during my assignment as Pentagon Commandant and never had any surplus that could be squandered by freeloaders and straphangers.