Dollars from the skies

Many of us here in Dothan do not fully realize the economic impact that Fort Rucker, the Home of Army Aviation, has on our area. Military personnel, Department of Defense civilians, and contract civilian employees all put money into our economy from their paychecks, and there are also contracts for various services on and off base that figure in.

Here is a brief overview of the some of the numbers.

Personnel

Economic Impact

• On any given day, more than 300 flying classrooms (aircraft) take to the skies in and around Fort Rucker. Those aircraft operate in an area from Montgomery, Alabama to the north to Panama City, Florida to the south, and from Albany, Georgia to the east to Evergreen, Alabama to the west.

• It is estimated that Fort Rucker lends support to close to 15,000 military retirees in southeast Alabama. These retirees, as well as military personnel and employed civilians, shop in area stores, eat in area restaurants, and pay property and sales taxes.

• Around sixty foreign countries have sent students to Fort Rucker for aviation training.

The next time you hear the helicopters, or when you see a man or woman in uniform out and about, be thankful for what Fort Rucker means to our community.